Tension In Mali As Armed Groups Vow To Battle Junta

Tension In Mali As Armed Groups Vow To Battle Junta

A coalition of armed groups in northern Mali, who were part of a significant peace agreement, have stated their intent to defend themselves against the ruling junta, alleging violations of mutual security commitments.

The coalition, known as the Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security, and Development (CSP), has advised civilians to stay away from military facilities, indicating a potential escalation of conflict.

In response, the governorate of the eastern Gao region has implemented a 30-day overnight curfew, exempting only security vehicles, from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am.

This development follows a suicide attack on a military base in northern Mali, which occurred just a day after suspected jihadists carried out deadly strikes on an army camp and a passenger boat, resulting in the loss of 64 lives.

Read Also [BREAKING] Military Intervention: France Amassing Troops, Equipment In ECOWAS States – Niger Junta Cries Out

The region, which has been the epicenter of a jihadist insurgency spreading across three Sahel nations, has experienced heightened tensions in recent weeks, partly due to the withdrawal of UN peacekeeping troops from Mali.

The Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), a coalition of Tuareg independence and Arab nationalist groups party to the Strategic Framework, claimed responsibility for shooting down an army plane in the Gao region after being attacked. If confirmed, this marks the first such incident in many years.

The CSP has recently reported multiple violations of the 2014 ceasefire and the 2015 peace accord. They have also criticized what they see as the junta’s “current ceasefire strategy,” viewing it as a deliberate attempt to undermine the agreement. The CSP has warned that they may need to resort to “all measures of legitimate defense” in the northern Azawad region.

The Framework is concerned that the withdrawal of UN troops could provide a “pretext” for the junta to reassert control over areas that were previously ceded from central authority under the 2014 and 2015 agreements.

Since the departure of UN peacekeepers from their base last month, there have been clashes between troops and jihadists, as well as between the army and the CMA. The Framework alleges that after the base was vacated, the army, along with Russian Wagner paramilitaries whom they consider terrorists, perpetrated violence, including summary executions, arbitrary arrests, and looting, against locals.

Established in May 2021, the Framework comprises the main armed groups in northern Mali who signed the 2015 peace deal, which is now generally considered defunct. The jihadists, who initially fought alongside Tuareg and Arab rebels against the army before turning against them, remain unaffected by the accord and have expanded their operations to central Mali and Burkina Faso.

Mali, a landlocked and economically challenged nation, has grappled with insecurity since a Tuareg-led uprising erupted in the north of the country in 2012. The rebellion was officially resolved through a peace agreement between the northern rebels and the Malian government in 2015. However, the fragile deal faced strain after the civilian government was overthrown in 2020 and replaced by a junta.