Warring Factions Agree To A Truce In Mali

BBC: Mali signs UN ceasefire to end conflict with northern rebels

The Malian government has signed a ceasefire deal with rebels in a bid to end long-running unrest in the country's north.

As part of a UN-sponsored peace process, both sides agreed to an "immediate cessation" of hostilities.

The deal was signed during talks that began in Algeria on Monday.

Update #1: Mali, Tuareg-led rebels agree to cease hostilities for peace talks -- Reuters
Update #2: Mali, six armed groups agree to cease hostilities -- AFP

WNU Editor: This is not the first time that peace talks and ceasefires have been arranged to stop the fighting .... and I strongly suspect that it will not be the last.

A Return To Civil War In Mali?

Mali Separatist Group Declares End To Ceasefire -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Mali's MNLA Tuareg separatist group said on Friday it was ending a ceasefire agreed with the government in June and taking up arms following violence in the northern city of Kidal.

The declaration follows a series of incidents including clashes on Thursday between Malian troops and stone-throwing protesters who blocked a visit by the prime minister to the northern rebel stronghold of Kidal on Thursday. Several demonstrators were wounded but there were conflicting accounts of how they came about their injuries.

"The political and military wings of the Azawad (MNLA, MAA and HCUA) declare the lifting of the ceasefire with the central government in Bamako," said a statement by Attaye Ag Mohamed, one of the MNLA's founders.

Read more ....

Update: Tuaregs declare return to war against Mali army -- Global Post/AFP

My Comment: A return to war is the last thing that this region needs.

Mali Tuareg Separatist Rebels Pull Out Of Peace Deal Fueling Speculation That War Will Return To Mali

Mali Tuareg Separatist Rebels Pull Out Of Peace Deal -- BBC

uareg separatists in Mali say they are suspending participation in a peace deal, accusing the government of not respecting the accord reached in June.

Three Tuareg groups meeting in Burkina Faso called for an emergency meeting of all parties to the peace agreement.

A ceasefire enabled national elections and allowed Mali's military to return to the northern Tuareg town of Kidal.

President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita wants to stabilise Mali after a French-led offensive pushed Islamist rebels north.

In a statement late Thursday, Mossa Ag Acharatoumane, a founding member of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) accused the Malian government of failing to live up to its promises made in the June agreement, signed in the capital of neighbouring Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou.

Read more ....

Update #1: Mali Tuareg separatists suspend participation in peace process -- Reuters
Update #2: Mali Rebels Suspend Role in Peace Accord -- ABC News/AP

My Comment: After a year of war and bloodshed .... it appears that no one has learned anything.

Is Northern Mali The Next Safe Haven For Al Qaeda?

Analysis: Mali: The World's Next Jihadi Launchpad? -- Reuters

(Reuters) - When Mali's Tuareg nomads launched a rebellion in January, many in Africa thought it would be just the latest in a long line of desert uprisings to be swiftly placated with offers of cash and jobs.

Some optimists mused that the indigo-turbaned northerners might even take on the local arm of al Qaeda, which was plying a disruptive trade in Western hostages and trafficked goods.

But instead, the Tuaregs' struggle for an independent homeland has been hijacked by better-armed Islamists from Mali and abroad, creating a safe haven for militants in the Sahara that is already being compared to similar bastions elsewhere.

Read more ....

My Comment: I can hear all the alarm bells in neighboring countries ringing with this development. There is no question about it .... this is a big victory for Al Qaeda and their islamic allies in this region of Africa, and dislodging them will not be an easy task.

The Tuareg Insurgency Is Growing

Tuaregs Seized Regional Zeitgeist in Successful Coup -- Defense News

The revival of the Tuareg insurgence in Africa is one of the most significant consequences of the Libyan civil war and the subsequent destabilization of Africa’s Sahel region provoked by the fall of the Libyan government.

On April 6, the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), the new political and military group fronting the Tuareg insurgence, declared the independence of the Azawad, the region in northern Mali that ethnic Tuaregs consider their homeland, after they seized Kidal, Timbuktu and Gao, the three most important cities in north Mali.

Read more ....

My Comment: The Tuareg rebel movement has the weapons, structure, and political will to assert themselves in their part of Africa. And while I do not see them pushing for autonomy and/or independence from a powerful country like Algeria, they are certainly taking the advantage of asserting their independence from weaker countries like Mali and Niger.

The Situation In Mali Is About To Take A Turn For The Worse

Disaster Looms For People Of Mali As Country Is Split By Revolt -- CNN

(CNN) -- Africa has seen some ugly divorces in recent times: Eritrea and Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan. Now Mali is threatened with partition as a rebellion flares in the north and political uncertainty grips the capital, Bamako. Mali's neighbors and western governments are looking on anxiously as drug traffickers and Islamist groups affiliated with al Qaeda take advantage of the vacuum -- in a region already blighted by hunger, poverty and weak government.

The origins of Mali's collapse are twofold. In January, Tuareg rebels began attacking towns in the vast deserts of northern Mali. Many had recently returned from fighting for Moammar Gadhafi in Libya, bringing guns and vehicles with them. Then, on March 22, there was a coup by mid-ranking officers in Mali's army angry with corruption and the lack of resources for fighting the rebellion.

Read more ....

Previous Post: Mali's New President Threatens War Against Tuareg Rebels

My Comment: Poverty. Tribalism. Inhospitable terrain. Heavily armed groups. It is amazing that Mali has been able to keep it together this long .... unfortunately .... the future definitely looks bleak right now.

Mali's New President Threatens War Against Tuareg Rebels

New Mali Leader Dioncounda Traore Warns Rebels Of War -- BBC

Mali's new leader, Dioncounda Traore, has threatened a "total war" against separatist rebels in the north.

Mr Traore's inauguration marks a return to civilian rule following last month's coup in the West African state.

Mr Traore now has 40 days to organise elections - though correspondents say this deadline is unlikely to be met because of the situation in the north.

Since the coup, Tuareg and Islamist militants have taken control of much of the northern desert region.

Read more ....

More News On Mali's New President Threatening War Against The Tuareg War

Mali interim president threatens "total war" against seperatists -- CBS/AP
Mali interim leader threatens 'total war' -- Al Jazeera
Mali’s new leader, Dioncounda Traore, threatens rebels with ‘total war’ -- National Post/AFP
New Mali president talks tough with Tuareg rebels -- Euronews
Interim Mali leader promises vote, anti-rebel fight -- Reuters
Mali’s Interim President Takes Oath of Office -- Voice of America
Mali's Traore sworn in as acting president -- Reuters
Mali swears in new president, restores civilian rule -- CNN
Mali gets interim president. What's on his agenda? -- Alex Thurston, Christian Science Monitor
Mali: A Dilemma for African Regional Organizations -- John Campbell, Council On Foreign Relations
The Coup in Mali Is Only the Beginning -- Susanna Wing, Foreign Affairs
Azawad: The Tuaregs’ Nonexistent State In A Desolate, Poverty-Stricken Wasteland -- IBTimes
TIMELINE-Mali swears in new leader -- Reuters

Islamic Rebels Now Control A Vast Area In The Heart Of Africa

Triumphant Tuareg Rebels Fall Out Over al-Qaeda's Jihad In Mali -- The Telegraph

As one group of rebels proudly proclaimed the independent state of Azawad in the "liberated" north of Mali last week, their allies were preparing for jihad by cutting off the hand of a "criminal" and forcing women to wear the veil.

The rebels, armed with weapons stolen from Muammar Gaddafi’s formidable arsenal, took over an area of the Sahara as big as France in an astonishing 72 hours, taking advantage of the chaotic aftermath of an army coup.

Few of the people they promised to free waited to find out what freedom would be like. Instead, an estimated 250,000 people left their homes, terrified families fleeing with their children and possessions. Many told tales of looting and rape by rebels who now control a vast area in the heart of Africa.

Read more ....

My Comment: There is probably going to be an organized attempt to defeat these rebels by African and European armies. Expect this conflict to heat up in the next few months.

Tuareg Rebels Declare Independence In The North Of Mali

Tuareg Rebels Proclaim Independence In Northern Mali -- Voice of America

Tuareg rebels in northern Mali proclaimed independence on Friday, and asked for international recognition of their so-called "Azawad" nation.

In statement on their website, the rebels of The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, or MNLA, said they would respect the borders with others states.

The MNLA declared a cease-fire on Thursday, saying it had accomplished its goal.

Read more ....

More News On The Tuareg Rebels Proclaim Independence In Northern Mali

Tuarag rebels proclaim 'independence of Azawad' -- The Telegraph
Mali rebels declare independence in north -- Reuters
'We, the people': Tuareg rebels in Mali declare new state of Azawad -- MSNBC
Mali Rebels Proclaim Independent State in North -- New York Times
Mali Tuareg rebels declare independence in the north -- BBC
France Dismisses Mali Rebel Claims of an Independent Nation -- Voice of America
France dismisses Tuareg independence move in Mali -- Reuters
Grave conditions reported as rebels capture northern Mali -- CNN
Amnesty warns Mali is 'on brink of major disaster' -- BBC

Tuareg Rebels In Mali Succeed In Taking The Desert Capital Of Kidal

Mali Coup: Rebels Seize Desert Capital Kidal -- BBC

Rebels in Mali have captured the town of Kidal, just a week after the military seized power saying the army needed more equipment to fight the insurgents.

Kidal, which has 40,000 inhabitants, is by far the biggest town seized by the Tuareg rebels.

As the news was coming through, coup leader Capt Amadou Sanogo asked for foreign help to tackle the rebels.

The coup has been condemned - Mali's neighbours have threatened sanctions.

Read more ....

More News On The Tuareg Rebellion In Mali

Tuareg Rebels Seize Northern Mali Town -- Voice of America
Rebels seize northern Mali town of Kidal-- Global Post
Tuareg rebels use rockets, gunfire to attack northern city in Mali -- Washington Post/AP
Tuareg rebels seize northern Malian city of Kidal -- USA Today/AP
Mali's isolated junta seeks help to stop rebels -- AFP
Mali coup leader wants foreign help to fight rebels -- Euronews
Mali's neighbors threaten border closure in aftermath of coup -- CNN
U.S. frustrated with Malian mediation -- UPI

Why The Tuareg Rebels Are A Threat To The Stability Of Mali

Tuareg Rebels Threaten Unstable Mali -- Voice of America

Tuareg rebels continue to push south in Mali, as mutinous soldiers struggle to maintain control of the capital two days after they seized power in a coup that has created more problems than it solved.

Mali's future looks more uncertain than ever.

President Amadou Toumane Toure has not been seen or heard from publicly since Thursday. Rumors are flying of a countercoup in the works. Northern strongholds are bracing for a fight as ethnic Tuareg separatists push South.

Bamako residents say mutineering soldiers have looted the presidential palace, gas stations and shops.

Read more ....

Update: Who are the Tuareg and how do they fit into the coup in Mali? -- L.A. Times

My Comment: Like much of Africa .... the boundaries were done with little (if any) consideration of the regions tribal/ethnic/religious makeup. For the Tuareg .... this lack of recognition has resulted in them pursuing their own goals of an independent country. Unfortunately for them .... the territory that they are claiming is territory that the countries in the region are not willing to give up .... hence the wars and conflicts.

Tuareg Rebels Succeed In Defeating Mali's Army In The North

Tuareg Rebels Take Mali Garrison Town, Say Sources -- Chicago Tribune/Reuters

* Mali loses key government foothold in border region
* Attempts to resupply Tessalit had failed, soldiers fled
* Tuareg fighters seeking to carve out desert homeland

BAMAKO, March 11 (Reuters) - Tuareg rebels seeking to
carve out a desert homeland in Mali's north have taken control
of the key garrison town of Tessalit following a weeks-long
siege, rebel and military sources said on Sunday.

Malian army units defending the town, one of the
government's few footholds in the area, fled overnight towards
the Algerian border after attempts by the military to resupply
them were beaten back, the sources said.

Read more ....

More News On The Civil War In Mali

Mali Tuaregs say they control major military base -- Seattle Times/AP
Ghost town remains after Malians flee Tuareg rebel attacks -- Gulf Times/AFP
Neighbours ponder Mali intervention -- Irish Examiner
General: Bloc mulls armed intervention in Mali -- AP
Tuareg on the Warpath Again -- Roger Kaplan, American Spectator

Heavy Fighting Reported Between Mali Forces And Tuareg Rebels

Dozens Of Tuareg Rebels Dead In Mali Clash, Says Army -- BBC

Forty-five Tuareg rebels have been killed in two days of fierce clashes with Mali's government troops, the country's military says.

It says that two soldiers also died in the fighting in the vast desert area of northern Mali.

Some of the rebels have returned from Libya where they had been part of Col Muammar Gaddafi's security forces.

The Tuareg are calling for an autonomous Azawad region in the north of Mali.

Read more ....

More News On Clashes Between Mali Forces And Tuareg Rebels

'Dozens' killed in Mali clashes -- Al Jazeera
Fierce clashes between Malian army and Tuareg rebels kill 47 -- The Telegraph
Mali military says 47 killed in northern clashes -- MSNBC/Reuters
Tuareg rebels attack towns in north Mali -- Boston.com/AP
Tuareg rebels, including former pro-Gadhafi fighters, attack 2 more towns in north Mali -- Washington Post/AP
Mali troops fight off Tuareg rebel offensive -- AFP
Tuareg Rebels Attack More Towns in Northern Mali -- Voice of America