As instability intensifies in Northern Mali, the country’s army (FAMa) ramped up its operations this week, regaining key areas in the region near the Algerian border. FAMa targeted a base used by a new alliance – the so-called Azawad Liberation Front (ALF) – of armed separatist groups, eliminating several high-ranking members.
ALF announced its existence at the end of November, posting its flag on X and declaring the birth of ‘Azawad’ – the Tuareg name for Northern Mali. This territory has been grappling with insecurity, particularly after the collapse of a 2015 peace agreement between rebels and Mali’s transitional government. It’s a strategic area for trade in the Sahara for the Sahelian nation.
In the fight to reclaim sovereignty, Mali kicked out French troops in 2022 after more than eight years of Paris’ failed military counter-terrorism campaign, known as Operation Barkhane. The conflict and insecurity in Mali continue to be exacerbated by external actors, and allegations of uninvited foreign backing of terrorist groups have only escalated tensions.
Sources:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/malian-army-eliminates-senior-terrorist-leaders/3411551
https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/01/26/malis-peace-deal-ends
https://thearabweekly.com/creation-azawad-liberation-front-deepens-crisis-sahel-region
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/5/mali-breaks-off-diplomatic-ties-with-ukraine
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/8/20/ukraine-is-losing-the-plot-in-africa
https://en.sputniknews.africa/20240805/mali-severs-diplomatic-relations-with-ukraine-1067741125.html