France may destabilize Mali with Northern Tuareg rebels
Invitation By Daily Tab24. Updated: Sep 18, 2023.
Nearly two months French troops were forced out of Mali, rebels of the Northern Tuareg are imposing themselves once again. The rebels claimed to have taken over two army bases in the central town of Lere. The rebels have had to battle without support, which has ultimately affected their output against the government troops.
The rebel formed a unit to enable a coordinated execution of purpose, called Coordination of Azawad Movement, they have made gains that were compromised by the intervention of United Nations. The movement’s stride was cut by the intervention of United Nations peacekeeping mission.
Mali was helped by France to secure a United Nations peacekeeping mission that was able to push back the rebels and helped the government of Mali regain territories lost to the rebels. Armed conflict in Mali is the main problem of the Sahel African country, a conflict that often tends to overrun the government.
Since the coup in Mali, external or international relations of the country has profoundly declined, with United Nations peacekeeping mission withdrawing from the war. The effect of the withdrawal of the peace keeping mission was felt immediately. The peacekeeping mission has helped hold Mali, even though it could not permanently restore peace or defeat the rebels.
Since the withdrawal of UN peacekeeping mission, the delicate peace in Mali has seen a complete shattering. Clashes between Malian government and the rebels intensified, with casualties reported in high proportion, often, the military has kept exact numbers of casualties secret. The pride of the junta was at stake, and that has been the explanation for keeping exact numbers of casualties secret.
The centre of the issue is who takes control of the territory in the desert central and north of the Sahel-sahara African country. There have been reports of successful attack in Mali by the Azawad Movement. Four attacks were reported few days ago, with Coordination of Azawad Movement claiming they attacked four army positions around the town of Bourem, where they killed soldiers and made away with weapons.
The rebels went on to claim they take control of anywhere or position they attack, while Malian army take to their heels. Since the French left Mali, the rebels have made significant gains in the country that switched alliance to Russia’s Wagner group. The Wagner group has been accused of human right abuses and focusing on the natural resources in Mali by the West.
France knows better that the only challenge Mali has is the Coordination of Azawad Movement – a group formed by semi-nomadic Tuareg people seeking for independence. A support from France would change the face of the war that is still in control of the government forces. having pitched itself against France, CAM could be exploited against Mali.
CAM has not had international support since their quest for autonomy. The rebels seek to control the desert region called Azawad. The Tuareg people were said to not be in control of the push for independence with Malian government insisting the 2012 uprising was hijacked by an Islamist group that engaged in terrorism rather than push for autonomy.
Tuaregs continue to complain what they called neglect of their people by the Malian government and have since engaged in a war to liberate their land from the hands of their oppressors. A pact that would usher in peace was signed between the government and Taureg people, but the coups in the country destabilized the process.
The Azawad movement has been accused of targeting civilians and army, but desperate France may tactically and secretly support the rebels to convince they were behind the fragile stability Mali had – that Mali would fall without them. They might want to prove a thing by supporting the rebels against the government that expelled them.
