The predominantly Tuareg separatist insurgency said on Saturday it had left dozens dead in the ranks of the Malian army in Thursday’s attack on the Dioura camp in the Mopti (centre) region.
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In an initial press release, the rebels said they had counted 98 soldiers’ bodies. Then, in a second statement released later, they reported 81 soldiers killed, also on behalf of the Permanent Strategic Framework, a de facto structure dominated by the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), an alliance of predominantly Tuareg separatist groups .
The claims of the rebels and all the protagonists of the fighting are difficult to verify in these remote areas. Access to independent sources is difficult in the context of hostilities and military rule.
The Malian army has so far been content to report Thursday’s attack on its camp without further details, although elements and images of the events in Dioura have been circulating on social networks.
Since late August, northern Mali has been the scene of a resumption of hostilities by the CMA and an intensification of jihadist attacks against the Malian army. Since then, several army positions have been targeted.
The Dioura attack is the furthest south of the CMA’s area of operations since it took up arms.
This resurgence coincides with the ongoing withdrawal of the UN mission, which was ousted by the junta in power since 2020.
This resurgence is offset by the ongoing violence in the center and the jihadist spread in the north and east.
The rebels claim to have lost five or seven fighters themselves, according to one or another press release. They claim to have injured dozens of soldiers, taken five prisoners, ensured “full control of influence” and seized significant amounts of weapons, ammunition and equipment, including armored vehicles.
The junta is making restoring sovereignty over the entire territory one of its mantras and ensuring it is reversing the security trend. On the contrary, various experts report a deterioration in the situation in a country that has been mired in turmoil since 2012.