Displaying items by tag: Tuareg rebels

Algeria’s president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, has offered to mediate between Mali’s military-led government and northern rebel groups, including Tuareg and Arab nationalists, amid escalating regional tensions. However, he clarified that he would only step in if formally invited by Mali. His statement comes after Mali's junta withdrew from a previous Algeria-brokered peace deal and replaced UN peacekeepers with Russian Africa Corps mercenaries, formerly Wagner. Algeria has refused to tolerate mercenary forces on its 1,400 km shared border, despite its own longstanding ties with Russia. Mutual accusations have intensified, with both countries alleging drone strikes and cross-border incursions. Mali has accused Algeria of harbouring militants who conduct attacks from Algerian soil, a claim Algiers denies. The withdrawal of the UN’s MINUSMA peacekeeping force in 2023 has left a security vacuum in northern Mali, now filled by armed factions and foreign operatives. Tebboune’s call for diplomacy reflects Algeria’s concern over instability and the threat of wider conflict spreading across the Sahel region.

Ukraine has criticised Mali's decision to sever diplomatic ties, calling it short-sighted and hasty. This decision followed comments from Ukraine's military spy agency about the recent clashes in northern Mali, where Tuareg rebels claimed responsibility for killing 84 Russian Wagner mercenaries and 47 Malian soldiers. This was Wagner's most significant defeat since assisting Mali's military against insurgent groups two years ago. Ukraine denied involvement, stating no evidence was provided. After the spy agency mentioned that rebels had received ‘necessary’ information for the attack, Mali interpreted this as an admission of Ukraine's involvement, condemning it as a violation of sovereignty and support for terrorism. Senegal summoned Ukraine’s ambassador over related accusations. These events occur amid deteriorating relations between the West and Sahel nations, which have expelled French and US forces and turned to Russian mercenaries for security following recent military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.