In recent weeks, Mali has experienced a series of attacks and clashes between the signatories of the Algiers peace agreement. Within less than two weeks, at least six such incidents have occurred. Additionally, the terrorist threat is now becoming a concern in the capital city, Bamako.
On September 7th, the Malian military headquarters issued orders to all gendarmerie units in the Bamako region, stating, “High risks of kamikaze attacks in Bamako and its surroundings via tricycles.” The message went on to emphasize the need to “strengthen security within the camps,” “systematically inspect all vehicles, including motorcycle taxis,” and “exercise increased vigilance.”
This document sheds light on the prevailing tension in the Malian capital. Just last Thursday, a car bomb attack was thwarted in Kati Koko-Plateau, a garrison town and the junta’s headquarters.
In reality, the terrorist threat in the Malian metropolis has not abated for over a year. As early as the summer of 2022, the Chief of Staff of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA), General Oumar Diarra, had put his troops on alert to counter the jihadist offensive.
However, with the resumption of hostilities by separatist groups in the North, and the withdrawal of French and UN forces, the Malian military and their Russian partners now face an additional adversary. This has compelled General Diarra to reiterate his warnings.
Indeed, while the implementation of the 2015 Algiers peace agreement had been sluggish for months, it is now disintegrating in northern Mali. Fighting has erupted between the Malian army and armed groups that were signatories to the agreement.
At the end of August, in Ber, a town located a few dozen kilometers from Timbuktu, the Malian army, taking control of a camp abandoned by MINUSMA (the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali), clashed with armed groups from the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA). Each side claims to have inflicted significant damage on the other. In the Timbuktu region alone, according to several NGOs, there are already over 30,000 displaced persons.