“Twelve terrorists arrested”, “a PKM machine gun”, “two AK-47s”, “a hunting rifle”… “offensive reconnaissance” operation carried out the previous day in the Ménaka region.
This operation is the first of its kind in the region. It comes at a time when the local branch of the Islamic State of the Greater Sahara (EIGS) has imposed itself on almost the entire region and that, for months, northeastern Mali has been experiencing massacres. in civilians.
The problem is that the people detained near the town of Tin Fadimata, located about thirty miles north of the town of Ménaka, belonged to the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), according to Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, CMA executive.
“These are members of the MNLA [Mouvement national de libération de l'Azawad] and two of them are Fama [Forces armées maliennes]. They joined the authorities of the reconstituted army under the Algiers agreement”, he explains, without specifying his identity. As for the material understood, they would be “legal” weapons. “The people arrested had a mission order specifying this,” he adds.
An army mistake?
Did the army make a mistake or purposely arrest CMA members? Contacted by young Africa, the communication department of the Malian army did not follow up. “In order to avoid any confusion that could generate tension on the ground, in accordance with the guidelines of the transitional political authorities and in the spirit in of the peace and reconciliation agreement resulting from the Algiers process (APR), the general staff of the armies invites the signatory movements to coordinate their movements with Fama”, however, the press release specifies.
Assured that steps are being taken to release the twelve detainees, currently held by the defense and security forces in the city of Ménaka, the spokesperson for the former rebels is currently refusing to make any comment on the situation, wanting to believe “in a quick and quick result”.
It must be said that between the State of Mali and the former separatist rebels, both signatories of the Algiers peace agreement, relations are extremely tense and that any declaration is likely to worsen the situation.
Although the dialogue tried to break down and the agreement struggled to be implemented, this new incident occurs less than a month after the low-altitude overflight of the city of Kidal, a stronghold of the former rebels, by Malian army planes. This wave of arrests may then appear to be a provocation on the part of the authorities Malians.
