Mali troops and Russian allies fight rebels near Algerian border
The New Arab reports that Mali troops, with the help of Russian mercenaries, battled against separatist rebels near the border with Algeria on July 25th, according to statements given to AFP by a witness and spokesman for the rebel group.
Mali’s military junta ceased power in 2020 and has sought to secure all territory within its borders by eradicating separatists and jihadist militants. In recent weeks, Mali’s army has claimed several victories and, on July 24th, launched a new offensive on Tinzaouatene, near the border with Algeria.
The spokesman for the separatist alliance CSP-DPA, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, told reporters that Mali troops and “Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group” had “tried to take possession of Tinzaouatene, the last base of civilians who fled their abuses”.
The Permanent Strategic Framework for the Defence of the People of Azawad (CSP-DPA), which mainly consists of ethnic Tuaregs, is fighting to secure an independent state for the territory known as Azawad.
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The spokesman went on to state that separatist forces had “inflicted many casualties” on Russian mercenaries and other auxiliary forces.
The Mali armed forces have not immediately commented on the situation, though a military source said the army is “continuing to secure national territory.”
Civilians on the Algerian side of the border reported that they could hear gunfire from neighbouring Mali.
Junta forces launched an offensive into Kidal, which deprived separatist groups of their control in several districts in 2023. The town was a significant target for the government as it stood as a pro-independence bastion in the north.
Multiple accusations have been levelled at the Mali armed forces and Wagner mercenaries for human rights abuses against the civilian population. State authorities have denied all allegations.
The landlocked country has been riddled with armed conflict since Tuareg rebels took control of the north in 2012. Colonel Assimi Goita took power in Mali in 2022 after having already launched a coup d’état in 2020. The country, in turn, broke its traditional alliance with its former colonial ruler, France, in favour of Russia.
The New Arab / AFP and agencies
