Mali: A Step Forward for the Peace Process
| Publisher | Jamestown Foundation |
| Author | Alexander Sehmer |
| Publication Date | 27 October 2017 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | Terrorism Monitor Volume: 15 Issue: 20 |
| Cite as | Jamestown Foundation, Mali: A Step Forward for the Peace Process, 27 October 2017, Terrorism Monitor Volume: 15 Issue: 20, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a0d6b714.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Link to original story on Jamestown website
After months of clashes, a ceasefire deal between Malian rebels and the pro-government Platform militia is a positive development for Mali, but attacks by jihadists continue to undermine security.
On September 20, the Tuareg separatists of the Coalition of Azawad Movements (CMA) and members of the Platform militia signed a peace deal in Bamako (AfricaNews, September 22). The deal built on an earlier truce that had allowed Kidal State Governor Sidi Mohamed Ag Ichrach to return to the regional capital in northern Mali for the first time in several years (Sahelien, August 23).
The move is a boost for Mali's stuttering peace process, but the gains remain tempered by jihadist violence. Even as the rebels signed their truce, there were a number of attacks on Malian soldiers and troops with the United Nations Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) (MaliActu, September 20). A second attack later in the month killed three MINUSMA Peacekeepers (MaliActu, September 24). Unsurprisingly, the government has extended for another year the state of emergency in Mali, which has been in place since November 2015 (MaliActu, October 21).
The Mali-Niger border area has also grown increasingly dangerous (Asharq al-Awsat, October 21). Over the border, the killing of four U.S. soldiers, along with four of their Nigerien counterparts, in an ambush near the village of Tongo Tongo in the Tillaberi region on October 4 adds to the concern (AllAfrica, October 5; MaliActu, October 6).
It appears to still be unclear exactly who the perpetrators of the attack were, and there are troubling suggestions that villagers may have been complicit by delaying the troops from leaving.
Possibly, it was the work of the local arm of IS, led by Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, the former spokesperson for the Movement for the Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) (see Hot Issue, October 26). The group could be attempting to gain greater prominence. That in turn could bring them into conflict with the dominant al-Qaeda alliance, Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM).
Earlier this month, jihadists with JNIM, which is led by the Ansar Dine chief Iyad Ag Ghali, released a video announcing they had executed local hostages as a warning to those who might collaborate with the security forces (aBamako, October 9). That tactic is more closely associated with IS, and if true could indicate an attempt to consolidate its position.
Positive steps in the peace process should allow the government to better focus on tackling the jihadists. The Sahel G5 force could help in that regard. The joint anti-terror effort between Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mauritania is supposedly edging closer to becoming operational. The pace of developments, however, remains painfully slow.
