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MALI: GSIM Menace

MALI: GSIM Menace The group claims another string of attacks as French forces are accused of ‘violations’.An al‐Qaeda affiliate in Mali on November 8th claimed responsibility for four attacks on Malian and United Nations (UN) troops that it said killed six soldiers.Jamaat Nusrat al‐Islam wal‐Muslimin (the Group for Support of Islam and Muslims, GSIM) said in statements that it had attacked a police post in Segou on November 5th, capturing weapons and a motorcycle.On the 6th, “fighters ambushed Malian and UN Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) forces near the city of Konna in Mopti, killing six soldiers,” according to a report carried by the US monitoring group SITE.“Other fighters bombed a Malian convoy tasked with securing an area near Niafunke in Timbuktu in preparation for a visit by a local leader,” it said.Prime Minister Abdoulaye Idrissa Maiga cancelled a planned visit on the 6th to the central town after a vehicle sent to protect his team hit a landmine.The same day, police and administrative officials said 10 people, including nine civilians, had died in attacks in northern and central Mali.In a statement released on November 7th, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the head of MINUSMA, described the jihadist assailants as “drugged fanatics” and “outlaws.”He called on Malians to become “collectively aware” of “cowards (who) mix with the peaceful population, discretely melt into the background before carrying out their plans.”Islamist extremists linked to al‐Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012 at the expense of Touareg rebels. They were chased out of Sahara towns by an ongoing French‐led military operation launched in January 2013.In mid‐2015, a peace accord was signed with Touareg leaders aimed at isolating the jihadists. But much of the region remains lawless, despite efforts by Mali's army, French soldiers and MINUSMA.Since its formation in March, JNIM has usually targeted Malian, French and UN troops. (© AFP 8/11 2017; BBC Monitoring 1/11)An official from Mali's Defence Ministry on November 7th confirmed that Malian soldiers captured by jihadists were among 15 people killed in an anti‐terrorist operation by French forces in October.The Malian official, who asked not to be named, told AFP a delegation composed of France's ambassador and the commander of its military force in Mali met with Defence Minister Tiena Coulibaly on October 31st and “acknowledged the facts.”The commander of the French forces said in a statement on November 7th the operation had targeted a “terrorist training camp,” and “at no moment” was the presence of Malian soldiers established.France has a 4,000‐man anti‐terrorist force, called Barkhane, in northern Mali and is supporting a five‐nation G5 Sahel force aimed at buttressing security against jihadists across the sprawling Sahel region. (© AFP 8/11 2017) State of emergency extended p. 21629ICC Probing Crimes: The International Criminal Court (ICC) said on October 18th it was investigating several potential war crimes including murder in Mali, months after finding an ex‐jihadist guilty liable for millions worth of damage in the landlocked country.The Hague‐based tribunal said in August that ex‐jihadist Ahmad al‐Faqi al‐Mahdi caused €2.7m worth of damage when he destroyed several fabled shrines in Timbuktu, in northern Mali, during the jihadist takeover there in 2012. Al‐Mahdi was jailed for nine years in 2016 after he pleaded guilty to directing attacks on the UNESCO world heritage site and apologised to the Timbuktu community. (© AFP 19/10 2017) http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series Wiley

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Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
ISSN
0001-9844
eISSN
1467-825X
DOI
10.1111/j.1467-825X.2017.07988.x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The group claims another string of attacks as French forces are accused of ‘violations’.An al‐Qaeda affiliate in Mali on November 8th claimed responsibility for four attacks on Malian and United Nations (UN) troops that it said killed six soldiers.Jamaat Nusrat al‐Islam wal‐Muslimin (the Group for Support of Islam and Muslims, GSIM) said in statements that it had attacked a police post in Segou on November 5th, capturing weapons and a motorcycle.On the 6th, “fighters ambushed Malian and UN Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) forces near the city of Konna in Mopti, killing six soldiers,” according to a report carried by the US monitoring group SITE.“Other fighters bombed a Malian convoy tasked with securing an area near Niafunke in Timbuktu in preparation for a visit by a local leader,” it said.Prime Minister Abdoulaye Idrissa Maiga cancelled a planned visit on the 6th to the central town after a vehicle sent to protect his team hit a landmine.The same day, police and administrative officials said 10 people, including nine civilians, had died in attacks in northern and central Mali.In a statement released on November 7th, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the head of MINUSMA, described the jihadist assailants as “drugged fanatics” and “outlaws.”He called on Malians to become “collectively aware” of “cowards (who) mix with the peaceful population, discretely melt into the background before carrying out their plans.”Islamist extremists linked to al‐Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012 at the expense of Touareg rebels. They were chased out of Sahara towns by an ongoing French‐led military operation launched in January 2013.In mid‐2015, a peace accord was signed with Touareg leaders aimed at isolating the jihadists. But much of the region remains lawless, despite efforts by Mali's army, French soldiers and MINUSMA.Since its formation in March, JNIM has usually targeted Malian, French and UN troops. (© AFP 8/11 2017; BBC Monitoring 1/11)An official from Mali's Defence Ministry on November 7th confirmed that Malian soldiers captured by jihadists were among 15 people killed in an anti‐terrorist operation by French forces in October.The Malian official, who asked not to be named, told AFP a delegation composed of France's ambassador and the commander of its military force in Mali met with Defence Minister Tiena Coulibaly on October 31st and “acknowledged the facts.”The commander of the French forces said in a statement on November 7th the operation had targeted a “terrorist training camp,” and “at no moment” was the presence of Malian soldiers established.France has a 4,000‐man anti‐terrorist force, called Barkhane, in northern Mali and is supporting a five‐nation G5 Sahel force aimed at buttressing security against jihadists across the sprawling Sahel region. (© AFP 8/11 2017) State of emergency extended p. 21629ICC Probing Crimes: The International Criminal Court (ICC) said on October 18th it was investigating several potential war crimes including murder in Mali, months after finding an ex‐jihadist guilty liable for millions worth of damage in the landlocked country.The Hague‐based tribunal said in August that ex‐jihadist Ahmad al‐Faqi al‐Mahdi caused €2.7m worth of damage when he destroyed several fabled shrines in Timbuktu, in northern Mali, during the jihadist takeover there in 2012. Al‐Mahdi was jailed for nine years in 2016 after he pleaded guilty to directing attacks on the UNESCO world heritage site and apologised to the Timbuktu community. (© AFP 19/10 2017)

Journal

Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural SeriesWiley

Published: Jan 1, 2017

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