Mali army says new fighting erupted with separatists in north
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The army reports "intense fighting" against "terrorists" in the early hours of the morning.
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Malian security drives toward Camp Kangaba, a tourist resort near Bamako, Mali, on June 19, 2017 (AP)
The Malian army confirmed on Sunday that new fighting had broken out in the north between the military and armed separatist groups, the latest in a series of attacks against the army in the West African country.
The army reported on social media "intense fighting" against "terrorists" in the early hours of the morning, in the area of Bamba, which separatists claimed to have taken control of.
The separatists said they had seized the northern locality in a social media message published on behalf of the Permanent Strategic Framework, which is dominated by the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA).
The CMA is an alliance of predominantly Tuareg groups seeking autonomy or independence from the Malian state.
Tuareg-dominated separatist groups said on Saturday that they had inflicted heavy losses on the Malian military in an attack in the center of the country, claiming to have killed 81 soldiers.
Since the end of August, the north of Mali has seen a resumption of hostilities and an intensification of attacks against the Malian army.
On September 7, the army was attacked in Bamba in an operation claimed by the Al-Qaeda-linked alliance, the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM).
A couple of weeks ago, Mali's interim President Colonel Assimi Goita promised to retake full control of the country amid a wave of insurgency and militancy.
Goita acknowledged the challenges that the government faces in addressing the threats posed by rebels and militants to the nation's security.
Mali withdrew from the French-backed G5 anti-terrorism force in 2022 and forced out the UN MINUSMA force in 2023. But in mid-September, it signed along with Burkina Faso and Niger a charter establishing an Alliance of Sahel States (AES) - the Liptako-Gourma Charter - to build a collective defense architecture and mutual collaboration aimed at benefiting the nations' peoples.
The three countries have been fighting the remnants of colonialism stemming from French colonialism and successive leaderships that have failed to secure their national interests.
The charter signed on September 16 binds the signatories to assist one another -- including militarily -- in the event of an attack on any one of them.
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