APA – Bamako (Mali) The ‘Groupe de Soutien à l’Islam et aux Musulmans’ (Support group for Islam and Muslims) has claimed responsibility for the attack on the army base at Bamba, in the Gao region.
The security situation in northern Mali has become very worrying recently. Attacks perpetrated mainly by non-state armed groups have multiplied. The latest attacks occurred on Thursday 7 September.
The first attack of the day targeted the large transport boat Timbuktu, which was attempting to reach Mopti via Gao. The attack took place at around 11am in the Timbuktu and Gao regions. The attackers first fired rockets at the boat, damaging its engines and forcing it to stop on the banks. The General Staff reported that the terrorists had a “nefarious plan” to attack the Comanav (Compagnie Malienne de Navigation) boat between Abakoira and Zorghoi, in the Rarhous cercle. An official report read out early this evening on the ORTM television news put the death toll at 49 civilians and 15 soldiers. In response, the army claims to have neutralized around fifty attackers. The President of the transition decreed three days of mourning from Friday 8 September.
Another attack targeted the town of Bamba, in the Gao region. The terrorists temporarily took up position in the town, even occupying the camp, before withdrawing, taking with them some military equipment. Again, no clear toll has yet been given. At the beginning of the afternoon, the ‘Groupe de Soutien à l’Islam et aux Musulmans’ claimed responsibility for the assault, without giving any details of the casualties.
For some time now, the jihadists have been imposing a veritable blockade on the roads leading to the towns of Timbuktu and Gao. This situation follows the start on 1 July of the withdrawal of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), which is due to end on 31 December.
The presence of the MINUSMA, even if it did not prevent certain attacks, was still a major deterrent. Before the Blue Helmets, there were also French soldiers from Operation Barkhane and elements of the European Special Forces deployed as part of Task Force Takuba, who were forced to withdraw from Mali by the transitional authorities against a background of rapprochement with Russia.
In addition to the terrorists, the Malian army also has to contend with a resurgence of the ex-rebellion, members of which have no hesitation in clearly calling for a resumption of hostilities insofar as the Peace Agreement signed in 2015 has not been applied for almost two years now.
MD/ac/fss/abj/APA