Bamako, 12 September,2023 (GNP): Tuareg rebels belonging to the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) have announced their capture of Bourem, a town in northern Mali, following weeks of intense fighting against the national army and Wagner mercenaries.
The recent takeover of Bourem, a strategic location between the historic cities of Gao and Timbuktu, poses a significant threat to the stability of the region and casts doubts over the 2015 peace agreement.
CMA spokesperson Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane confirmed the seizure of Bourem, citing intense and violent confrontations that resulted in casualties.
However, specific casualty figures remain undisclosed. The Malian army’s spokesperson has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Local resident Mahamoud Ould Mety reported that unidentified armed groups had besieged the military camp and moved through the town, prompting military aircraft to respond with firepower. The Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) have deployed extensively in the town in response to the situation.
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The renewed tension in the region, a historic hotbed of armed conflict in the Sahel, has been exacerbated by the withdrawal of UN peacekeeping troops, which played a crucial role in maintaining a fragile peace.
The CMA, representing the Tuareg people in Mali’s northern region, has voiced grievances about government neglect and sought autonomy for Azawad, their desert homeland.
The CMA now considers itself in a state of “war” with the ruling military, which aligned with the Russian military contractor Wagner Group after the expulsion of French troops last year.
Tuareg rebels have accused Malian forces and Russian Wagner Group troops of violating the 2015 ceasefire agreement.
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The conflict in Mali dates back to 2012 when France intervened militarily to counter armed groups linked to al-Qaeda that had taken control of northern Mali amid a Tuareg uprising. Despite international efforts, armed groups continued to carry out attacks on civilians and the army.
In late August, the military leadership called for renewed dialogue with armed groups amid concerns of fresh hostilities following the UN peacekeepers’ withdrawal.
Tuareg rebels are apprehensive that the withdrawal may provide a pretext for the military to reclaim zones ceded from central control under the peace accords.
The UN peacekeeping mission, with 13,000 personnel, is set to exit Mali by December 31 after a decade of efforts to stabilize the country. The mission’s withdrawal was initiated earlier this year following the departure of French troops.