Tuareg Separatists Report Heavy Casualties in Attack on Malian Military
Tuareg separatist groups have claimed significant losses on the Malian military following an attack in the central region of the troubled West African country. The rebels, predominantly from the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), an alliance of Tuareg groups advocating for autonomy or independence, initially stated that they had killed 98 soldiers. However, they later revised the figure to 81. It should be noted that the remoteness of the affected areas and the ongoing conflict make it difficult to independently verify these claims.
According to the rebels, they also wounded dozens of soldiers, took five prisoners, and suffered the loss of seven fighters during the attack. Both the rebels and other parties involved in the conflict face challenges in accessing independent sources due to the nature of the ongoing fighting. The Malian army has only confirmed an assault on one of its camps in the Mopti region without providing further details. Nevertheless, images and reports related to the incident quickly circulated online.
If confirmed, this attack marks the CMA’s southernmost operation since resuming hostilities against the Malian army in the northern region at the end of August. The north of Mali has witnessed intensified clashes between the CMA rebels and jihadist groups targeting the Malian army. Multiple army positions have been targeted in these operations. This recent surge in violence coincides with the withdrawal of the United Nations stabilization force, MINUSMA, which has been forced out due to the rule of the junta in power.
Mali’s ruling junta, which assumed control in 2020, is grappling with various security challenges across the impoverished and landlocked nation. They have expelled a French anti-jihadist force and turned to Russia for political and military support, although they deny enlisting the services of the Wagner mercenary group. The junta emphasizes the restoration of sovereignty throughout the entire country as one of its main objectives and claims to be improving the security situation. However, multiple experts report a deteriorating situation in a country that has been in turmoil since 2012.
