All of Mali now has its sights set on the north. Although war has not officially been declared between Bamako and former rebel movements in the north — the two sides that signed the Algiers peace deal in 2015 — have been talking arms since August, and concern continues. Grow Up: Is Mali’s Army Preparing to Attack Kital? The city, near the Algerian border, is a symbol of Bamako’s central issue of sovereignty: it has been the stronghold of four Tuareg rebellions launched against the state since the end of French colonial rule in 1960. Northern part of Mali.

According to several experts on conflicts in the Sahel, the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) may immediately seek to retake the bases of Aguelhoc and Dessalit, north of the rebel stronghold, before attempting to retake Kittal. And the United Nations Embassy in Mali (MINUSMA) is preparing to leave, after UN forces were ousted by the military regime in June.

The Malian army, which has been in power since their coup in August 2020, no longer makes a secret of their intentions under any circumstances. “The process of irreversible occupation of Mali’s lands, which are part of Mali’s unity, continues and will continue despite the futile resistance of some of its lost sons. Our valiant army will fight to the last breath to defend the integrity of our beloved homeland, which is indivisible.”FAMA spokesman Colonel Souleymane Dembélé warned on national television on Tuesday.

This desire to recapture has taken the form of a column of over a hundred military vehicles since Monday, October 2. After leaving Gao in the northeast of the country, it moved northward on Wednesday, October 4. Groups of former Tuareg and Arab rebels, united within the Strategic Framework for Peace, Security and Development (CSP-PSD), are fighting back to prevent soldiers from advancing into territory they consider under their control. According to several security and diplomatic sources, fighting broke out between them and FAMA on Wednesday between the Tarkind and Tapankard areas, located about 160 km south of Kidal, while the former rebels demanded to take over a new camp. Army, describes the latter “terrorist”At Dausa, 100 km away.

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