Malian troops and their Russian allies have been engaging insurgent groups in the Tinzaouatene area in the north of the country since last week.
The Malian Armed Forces (FAMas) are receiving support from the Burkinabe army in their operations against the rebel groups of the Permanent Strategic Framework for the Defence of the People of Azawad (standing strategic framework for the defence of the people of Azawad – CSP-DPA) and the jihadists of the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM) in the Tinzaouatene area.
“The FAMas, in coordination with the Armed Forces of Burkina Faso, began an air campaign in the Tinzaouatene sector on Tuesday 30 July 2024,” the General Staff of the Malian Armed Forces said in a statement.
It added that “this campaign aims to secure people and property in the locality of Tinzaouatene and its surroundings, against the coalition of terrorists responsible for atrocities, abuses and illicit trafficking against the Malian population.”
The general staff also reported that the Burkinabe air force had essentially targeted ‘specific high-value objectives, including caches, logistical hubs and vehicles’.
Mali justified the Burkinabe army’s intervention on the grounds of “solidarity between the member states of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) and in application of the organisation’s collective defence and mutual assistance mechanism.”
Since Saturday, the Malian army and its Russian allies have been confronting the CSP and the GSIM.
Although no official figures have been released, the Malian army has acknowledged “a significant number
of deaths” in Tinzaouatène and a channel associated with the private military company Wagner has confirmed losses in their ranks and the death of a commander.
DS/ac/fss/as/APA