Meer algemene en al breed gerapporteerde kwesties worden niet opgenomen. Waar mogelijk is een link toegevoegd.
Eerder verschenen Mali in de pers:
januari, maart, april, May, June, July,
***
28 Feb.
***
[Presenter] The commemoration of
Nigeria's centenary was marked by a conference on peace, security,
and development in Africa. During the conference, France pledged to
train 20,000 soldiers for Africa every year. This announcement was
made by French president, Francois Hollande, who said the purpose is
to enable Africa to better ensure its own security.
France said to train 20,000 African
troops every year - Text of report by Malian state-owned ORTM TV on
28 February (via BBC Monitoring Africa, March 2, 2014).
--
The Algerian army seized 10 Katyusha
rockets, 17 surface-to-air Strela rockets, and other types of
rockets, in addition to two four-wheel-drive vehicles that were
carrying armed men and smugglers. Efforts are under way to identify
them.
Speaking to Al-Hayat, a security source dismissed reports that the
weapons were destined for northern Mali. The source said that the
available information refers to an armed Islamic group that demands
independence of the south. The source meant the Movement of the Sons
of the South for Islamic Justice. Abdessalam Termoun succeeded the
previous leader of this movement, Ben Shanab. Termoun appeared in a
video footage a few days ago in which he asserted that the movement
will continue its activity.
Army seizes rockets destined for
`terrorist' groups in southern Algeria, Al-Hayat website, London, in Arabic 28
Feb 14 , (via BBC Monitoring Middle East – Political, February 28,
2014 Friday)
--
The Mauritanian National Movement for
the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) has said that it rejects the
conclusions reached by sessions held in recent weeks in the Malian
capital Bamako, which were brokered by a delegation from the UN
Security Council, Mauritanian independent news agency Al-Akhbar
website reported on 28 February.
According to the report, a leader from
the MNLA told Al-Akhbar that "the movement rejects the proposals
put forward recently to assemble fighters in specific locations, and
also categorically rejects the methods and programme adopted for it".
"Overall, nothing obliges us [to
abide by] what emerged from the sessions in Bamako. We participated
in the workshops at the request of the international community and
its delegation", the report quoted its MNLA source as saying,
adding that their goal in participating was "to put forward our
point of view to the regional and international parties present at
the meeting".
Mauritanian Azawad group "rejects
UN-brokered proposals" following talks in Mali, Al-Akhbar
website in Arabic 1646 gmt 28 Feb 14 (via BBC Monitoring Africa -
Political)
***
27 Feb.
***
Commando’s klaar voor Mali
De Nederlandse Special Operations Land
Task Group (SOTG) ‘Scorpion’ hield vorige week in de Marnewaard
een eindoefening. Die was ter voorbereiding op de missie in Mali. De
eerste lichting commando’s staat nu klaar om in Afrika inlichtingen
te verzamelen voor de VN-missie MINUSMA.
Tegen een passend decor werden de
operators voor de laatste keer aan alle denkbare situaties
onderworpen. Zo waren er kapotte voertuigen, logistieke problemen en
geprekken met quasi lokale leiders. Ook de planningsskills en
zelfredzaamheid van de mannen werd uitgeprobeerd. Belangrijk, want de
specialisten opereren ook ver uit de buurt van het basiskamp in Gao.
Taakgroep
Tijdens de eindoefening oefende de SOTG
in de organieke bezetting. Die bestaat uit 70 operators aan wie een
81 mm mortiersectie is toegevoegd. De uitbreiding omvat verder EOD-
en EOV-personeel (Elektronische Oorlogsvoering) én verkenners met
Fennek verkenningsvoertuigen. De ondersteuning is van groot belang
bij vooral langeafstandsverkenningen.
Defensiekrant 4,
http://magazines.defensie.nl/defensiekrant/2014/04/kort
[Announcer] A vehicle belonging to the Belgium-based Medicins du
Monde blasted off a landmine a few metres from the approaches to the
Kidal Airport in the northern part of Mali at midday on this
Wednesday [26 February].
The driver and his passenger, who is
the coordinator of the NGO in Kidal, were injured. According to the
governor, an investigation has been launched into the incident. Adama
Kamissoko added that the investigations would make it possible for
knowing whether the explosive device was laid in the last few hours
or not.
Landmine blast injures two aid workers
in northern Mali, Radio France Internationale, Paris, in French 1830
gmt 26 Feb 14 (BBC Monitoring Africa – Political, February 27,
2014)
--
[Reporter] The People's Republic of China has donated to Mali 12bn
FCFA. The second agreement concerns a 4bn FCFA loan. These amounts
will serve to finance priority projects which would be determined by
our government and carried out to serve the well-being of the Malian
people.
[Cao Zhong Ming, China's ambassador to Mali] The Chinese cooperation
has since targeted the many socioeconomic fields and the urgent needs
of the people of Mali. Thus, these two amounts will be allocated to
projects agreed upon by the two sides.
[Reporter] In addition to the donation granted by China, the ministry
of foreign affairs and international cooperation notes with
satisfaction the constant contribution of this country within the
framework of security stabilization of Mali.
[Zaahabi Ould Sidi Mohamed. Mali's minister of foreign affairs and
international cooperation] In addition to the numerous forms of
humanitarian aid, China participates also in the United Nations
Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali of which
the first contingent of 500 men has already been in our country since
16 January, 2014 in Bamako. No socioeconomic development field in
Mali has been overlooked by the Chinese cooperation.
[Reporter] For half a century China has
supported the efforts of our country in development sectors. Already,
several projects of Sino-Malian cooperation are under way, including,
Kabala campus, Bamako-Segou road and a hydroelectric dam, among other
things.
China gives Mali 33m dollars for
socioeconomic projects, Text of report by Malian state-owned ORTM TV
on 24 February (via BBC Monitoring Africa – Political, February 27,
2014).
***
26 Feb.
***
Observers put more than a question mark against the role played by Morocco in the countries located south-west of Algeria, where Algeria has always played a prominent role over decades in ending wars between the Bamako government and the rebel Azawad tribes in the north.
The questions posed concern the
"dubious" visits paid by the Moroccan king and officials,
which coincide with the political and security crisis in the kingdom,
in addition to its limited revenue which means that Morocco is
incapable of helping the Malian authorities to resolve their social
and economic problems. Furthermore, Morocco does not have the
diplomatic weight needed for resolving the sizeable problems faced by
the Malian authorities with the armed Tuareg movements, which have
been threatening separation from the central state in Bamako.
Observers have classified the "shuttle" tour which took
Moroccan King Mohammed VI to Africa and the State of Mali as "not
innocent", and that Mohammed VI wished to use it as a vehicle to
impede the role Algeria has been playing to resolve the crisis in
Mali.
Regarding Mohammed VI's tour, the
chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Council of the
Nation, Ibrahim Boulehia, said: "The visit is within the
framework of the special duties of heads of state and kings but the
African states and peoples are aware of the nature of the visit and
of the king's attempts."
Boulehia elaborated: "The African
countries are aware of what Algeria, which was supportive when it was
a colony and after gaining independence, can offer. Algeria does not
buy, support or look for a foothold on the winding roads. We will
continue to support just causes."
Regarding the possibility of Mohammed VI's impact on the role played
by Algeria in Mali, considering it has been leading mediations
between the factions in that country, Senator Ibrahim Boulehia
dismissed the idea on the basis that Algeria's objectives and its
relations with Mali are different from the kind of relations which
Morocco sought to build. He said: "I do not believe that Mali is
a commodity to be bought and sold by other countries, and there is no
evidence that Algeria has instigated sedition and feud in Mali."
Regarding the timing of the tour,
professor of political science and international relations at Ouargla
University, Abdallah Belhabib, said: "In political science there
is no such thing as innocent timing in decisions and internal and
external agenda; everything has to be calculated."
In an interview with Echourouk, Belhabib pointed out that Algeria
must not remain passive regarding the Moroccan moves, and said:
"Algeria has strong relations with Mali, and we must not remain
passive. It is essential that we make more effort in Mali and the
sub-Saharan countries which are of strategic importance to Algeria."
Regarding motives for the tour,
Abdallah Belhabib identified internal and external contexts which
concerned the problems faced by Mohammed VI, as regards human rights
in Western Sahara and the withdrawal of the Independence [Istiqlal]
Party from Abdelilah Benkirane's government. He summarised the
external motives as "regaining old allies or seeking new ones in
addition to interfering with Algerian diplomacy".
Source: Echourouk El Youmi website,
Algiers, in Arabic 24 Feb 14 (via BBC Monitoring Middle East –
Political, February 26, 2014).
--
News: ASX-listed Oklo Resources has completed drilling at the
Selingouma and Gombaly prospects located in its Dandoko Gold Project
in West Mali. The drill programme was aimed at testing a 6
kilometre-long trending group of surface gold in soil anomalies to
confirm gold mineralisation revealed by artisanal mining activities.
The samples collected have been sent to SGS Laboratories for testing.
The company intends to start planning for a second drilling round
after receiving the drill assays from Selingouma.
Oklo Resources Completes Drilling At
Dandoko, Business Monitor Online, February 26, 2014.
***
25 Feb.
***
[Presenter] Two mass graves have been found in Mali. Five bodies were
found yesterday evening [23 February] near the Kati Military Camp
[close to the capital Bamako], which used to be the HQ of the green
berets, who were behind the March 2012 coup d'etat.
Searches are going to be continued
today in this area, where a mass grave was found in December last
year. Our correspondent Serge Daniel files the report.
[Daniel] The investigation judge, Yaya
Karembe, led the team that made the discovery of two mass graves at
the spot which is on the outskirts of Kati. Two bodies were found in
the first of the graves. The three other bodies were found in the
second one. They all died from torture and they were all dressed in
military uniform with their hands and feet tied together.
An eyewitness said quote and unquote:
it is unbearable. In addition to the bodies, the heads of dead
crocodiles were found in one of the two mass graves. The question is
whether it was a ritual sacrifice. This will be disclosed by the
investigation.
The same investigation judge took part
in the exhumation of 21 bodies in Kati, a town which is located about
15km from the Malian capital. They were all very probably red beret
soldiers who were likely to have been killed in 2012 following the
counter coup d'etat to overthrow the junta which was then at the helm
of affairs in the country.
Twenty-five soldiers were arrested in
connection with this case. They include Amadou Sanogo, who was at the
time a captain and was later catapulted to the rank of a general.
Searches are expected to continue to find other bodies this Monday
[24 February]. Two deep wells that are located in the Kati area will
be searched from top to bottom.
Bodies of five soldiers found in two
mass graves near Malian capital, Source: Radio France Internationale,
Paris, in French 0530 gmt 24 Feb 14 (via BBC Monitoring Africa –
Political, February 25, 2014 Tuesday)
***
24 Feb.
***
BAMAKO, Mali (AP) A miner says that armed men closed a large salt
mine in northern Mali by forcing more than 800 workers to leave.
Hama Ould El Hilla, a worker at the
Taoudenie salt mine, said that eight men with AK-47 rifles arrived in
a vehicle with a mounted gun and ordered the miners to leave.
Hilla, speaking on the telephone from
Timbuktu, said about 200 of the miners arrived at Timbuktu, which is
750 kilometers (466 miles) south of the mine. He said the rest of the
miners are traveling to Timbuktu.
He said the gunmen did not identify themselves. Northern Mali has had
considerable trouble from Tuareg and Arab separatists. In 2012
northern Mali was occupied by Tuareg and Islamic extremist rebels who
were eventually chased away by French troops.
800 workers chased from mine by 8gunmen, February 24, 2014
***
23 Feb.
***
Bamako, Feb 23, 2014 (MAP) - Moroccan Alliances Group and Malian Ministry of Defence and War Veterans signed, on Saturday [22 February] in Bamako, an intention agreement to develop the department's property heritage through real estate development and the construction of buildings and military barracks.
This agreement was signed by Malian minister of defence and war veterans Soumaylou Boubeye Maiga and president of the Alliances Group Alami Lazraq.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the visit by HM King Mohammed VI in Mali, first leg of a tour that will take the sovereign to Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea Conakry and Gabon.
Under the document, the two parties are committed to improving the living conditions of Malians, especially the armed and security forces. The Alliances Group also pledges to create job opportunities and subcontract a part of its activities to Malian SMEs.
Moroccan Group, Malian Defence
Ministry sign agreement to develop department, Text of report in
English by state-owned, government controlled Moroccan news agency
MAP website, February 23, 2014 (via BBC Monitoring Middle East -
Political)
--
Bamako, Feb 23, 2014 (MAP) - Mali provided, through its president
Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, its support for the serious and credible
efforts by Morocco to settle the artificial conflict over the
Moroccan Sahara, according to a joint statement issued on Sunday [23
February] following the official visit by HM King Mohammed VI to the
Republic of Malian.
Regarding the Sahara issue, President
Ibrahim Boubacar Keita welcomed the serious and credible efforts by
the Kingdom of Morocco to move forward towards a peaceful, negotiated
and final settlement for this issue, said the statement.
The support shown by Mali for efforts continuously made by Morocco is
an acknowledgment of the soundness of the national cause, whose
validity is deeply-rooted in history, Bamako is well placed to
testify to it given its geographic location and its knowledge of the
region's history.
It is also a recognition of the
relevance of the innovative approach that Morocco has adopted at the
United Nations level to address this conflict fabricated by parties
blinded by hegemonic designs in the region and which seek to
undermine the territorial integrity of other countries.
Mali backs Morocco's serious,
credible efforts to settle Sahara issue, Text of report in English by
state-owned, government controlled Moroccan news agency MAP website,
February 23, 2014 (via
BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political)
--
Bir Lehlu, February 23, 2014 (SPS) -The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
denied the allegations reported this week in the Moroccan media about
the presence of a delegation of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic
in Mali in coincidence with the visit of the king of Morocco to
Bamako, in a statement issued Sunday [23 February].
The statement affirmed that these allegations were completely
unfounded and were fabricated by the Moroccan intelligence apparatus,
adding the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic did not have any
delegation or envoy during this period in the brotherly Republic of
Mali.
The purpose of this kind of faked
information is creating confusion. It won't hurt the credibility of
the Saharawi cause in the African continent, said the source.
Saharan ministry denies Moroccan media
allegations about delegation in Mali, Text of report in English by
official news agency of the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (SPS)
website, February 23, 2014 Sunday (via BBC Monitoring Middle East -
Political)
***
22 Feb.
***
Bamako, Feb 22, 2014 (MAP) - HM King
Mohammed VI, accompanied by Malian president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita,
launched, on Saturday [22 February] in Diago town, thirty kilometres
from Bamako, the construction works of a cement plant.
Moroccan king, Malian leader launch cement plant project, Text of report in English by state-owned, government controlled Moroccan news agency MAP website, February 22, 2014 (BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political)
Moroccan king, Malian leader launch cement plant project, Text of report in English by state-owned, government controlled Moroccan news agency MAP website, February 22, 2014 (BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political)
21 Feb.
***
Armed groups and the government have
signed an initial plan, during U.N.-led talks in Bamako, to create
nearly 40 barracks around Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal. The Associated
Press Wednesday saw a copy of the document. Ambeiri Ag Rhissa of the
Tuareg National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad said this was
the beginning of a solution.
Mali rebels agree to put members inbarracks, The New Zealand Herald, February 21, 2014
***
20 Feb.
***
Along with extending the Afghanistan
mission, the troop boost in the north African country was met with
overwhelming support in the Bundestag. Some 526 parliamentarians
voted in favor of the move, with 61 against. The opposition to the
increase came from the Bundestag's Left Party faction.
The next contingent of Bundeswehr troops in Mali is to join the joint
German-French military brigade in the country. Chancellor Angela
Merkel and French President Francois Hollande announced the
Franco-German operation in Mali during a recent meeting in Paris.
According to the defense ministry, there are 104 German troops
currently in Mali. Their primary task is training and educating local
government soldiers, as well as advising Malian leaders and defense
ministry officials. The Bundeswehr also provides medics.
German Military Approves Troop Increase
for Mali, Deutsche Welle (Bonn), February 20, 2014
18 Feb.
***
Voertuigen bestemd voor de Nederlandse
militairen die in Mali op missie gaan, vertrekken op woensdag 19
februari vanuit Gilze Rijen en Rucphen naar de Groningse Eemshaven.
De witte jeeps, trucks, pantserwagens en brandweerauto mét
UN-aanduiding bieden tijdens de reis naar het noorden een opvallende
aanblik. Vanuit de Eemshaven vertrekken de voertuigen aanstaande week
per schip naar Ivoorkust of Senegal. Vanaf daar gaat de reis over de
weg verder naar Mali.
Vanuit Rucphen vertrekken morgen vanaf 08.00 uur zeven diepladers met viertonners en pantserwagens van de types Fennek en Bushmaster naar de Eemshaven. Twee uur later starten eveneens de colonnes vanuit Gilze-Rijen, met in totaal 28 voertuigen en zeven aanhangers. Tussen 12.00 en 14.00 uur worden de zware transporten verwacht in het hoge noorden.
Komende week gaan de transportmiddelen aan boord van een groot transportschip voor een reis van twee à drie weken naar Afrika. Na aankomst en ontladen in Abidjan of Dakar (nu nog niet bekend) wacht nog een reis over land van enkele weken naar de eindbestemming: het Nederlandse kamp in Gao, Mali. Medio april moet het rollend materieel in ieder geval Gao hebben bereikt.
Vanuit Rucphen vertrekken morgen vanaf 08.00 uur zeven diepladers met viertonners en pantserwagens van de types Fennek en Bushmaster naar de Eemshaven. Twee uur later starten eveneens de colonnes vanuit Gilze-Rijen, met in totaal 28 voertuigen en zeven aanhangers. Tussen 12.00 en 14.00 uur worden de zware transporten verwacht in het hoge noorden.
Komende week gaan de transportmiddelen aan boord van een groot transportschip voor een reis van twee à drie weken naar Afrika. Na aankomst en ontladen in Abidjan of Dakar (nu nog niet bekend) wacht nog een reis over land van enkele weken naar de eindbestemming: het Nederlandse kamp in Gao, Mali. Medio april moet het rollend materieel in ieder geval Gao hebben bereikt.
Voor meer informatie over de
voertuigverplaatsingen van morgen kunt u contact opnemen met LTKOL
Illustratie: Jos van der Leij, J.vd.Leij[AT]mindef.nl, 06-1291408206-12914082.
Materieel missie Mali naar Eemshaven, 18 februari 2014 — 15:42
Illustratie: Jos van der Leij, J.vd.Leij[AT]mindef.nl, 06-1291408206-12914082.
Materieel missie Mali naar Eemshaven, 18 februari 2014 — 15:42
15 Feb.
***
[Presenter] There was tension in Mali yesterday [14 February] in the organization of the preparatory meeting for peace negotiations between the government and northern armed groups. Many of them were expected to take part in the discussions in Bamako over the last two days, but a majority of the Arab Movement for the Azawad [MAA] shut out some of the others, saying that some of their representatives are personalities who serve the Malian state's interests.
However, the discussions continued with the other groups taking part. Yet the other groups share the criticism of the MAA. Our correspondent David Bache filed the following report.
[Bache] A representative of the Tuareg MNLA [National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad] rebel movement, Ambery Ag Rhissa, asserted quote and unquote: they are right. Some of the representatives of the Arab Movement for the Azawad are not rebels, but Malian state officials. We support the move of the protesters, but we believe that a solution will be found.
The MNLA said it was in solidarity with them, but rejected the empty chair policy. Just like the MNLA, the Azawad High Council believes in dialogue progressing. This does not prevent Col Hassan Almeidy from stressing his position. The Malian state must honour the Ouagadougou Accord, which was signed in June last year. There was no question of laying down the weapons before negotiating.
[Almeidy] There is no question of abandoning the weapons before the final agreement. That is very clear. It was stipulated in the agreements. Until it is proved to the contrary, we are regulated by an agreement. Pledges are pledges. We all signed it. We are obliged today to make it work.
[Bache] Abderramane Maiga is one of the vice-presidents of the CMFPR [Coordination of Patriotic Movements and Forces for Resistance], which is a group of self-defence militias close to the Malian state. This is the reason for its great confidence in the fulfilment of its demands on the confinement of some fighters to barracks. He stated thus:
[Maiga] The sites have not been identified formally. Therefore, it is going to be necessary that we make proposals for the cantonment sites. From that point, we are going to struggle to see what is necessary to do on cantonment measures, what we need in terms of resources because this confinement to barracks should be effective because we would like to be confined to barracks close to our various people.
[Bache] The discussions are expected to continue during the weekend more officially.
Section of Malian Tuareg rebels accuse colleagues of working for government, Radio France Internationale, Paris, in French 0530 gmt 15 Feb 14 (via BBC Monitoring Africa - Political)
--
[Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt] We have discussed ways to help
Mali. Several years ago, we established an agency for aid to
development. We are here to provide assistance to the UN system and
the EU. We will explore the possibilities in order to do better in
our traditional assistance. I was really very impressed by the
initiatives adopted and progress made in the recovery of the rule of
law and state's authority. We are exploring the ways and means to
really provide support in peacekeeping.
Malian president discusses peacekeeping
support with Swedish foreign minister, ORTM TV, Bamako, in French
2000 gmt 15 Feb 14 (via BBC Monitoring Africa - Political)
--
Le cantonnement, a ajouté le ministre, sera immédiatement suivi du désarmement, de la démobilisation et de la réintégration des ex-combattants des groupes armés, sous l’œil vigilant bien entendu de la Mission internationale des Nations unies pour la stabilisation du Mali (Minusma).
Mohamed El Omrani, président du Mouvement arabe de l’Azawad (MAA), branche non armée qui est fidèle à la République du Mali, d’ajouter que cet atelier a été une occasion de débattre profondément beaucoup de problèmes mais aussi et surtout, de tous les accords précédents signés et de toutes assises tenues pour la restauration de la paix. Aussi, la rencontre a permis à chaque partie de faire des propositions sur le cantonnement et le désarmement des groupes armés. «La leçon que je tire de cette rencontre est que si on veut la paix, il faut cantonner et désarmer les groupes armés », a-t-il déclaré.
Par Malijet, Sortie de crise : larencontre préparatoire du processus de cantonnement des groupesarmés s’achève sur des bonnes notes, 15 Février 2014
--
BAMAKO, Mali (AP) A Malian government spokesman says the country"s
former defense minister has been criminally charged in connection
with the slayings of 21 soldiers who had opposed a coup leader"s
rise to power.
Spokesman Mahamane Baby said Friday that Gen. Yamoussa Camara was
accused of being complicit in the murders of the soldiers, which took
place back in 2012 not long after a coup leader seized control of
Mali.
The killings are believed to have taken
place in April 2012, when forces loyal to the ousted president
attempted to grab back power from coup leader Amadou Haya Sanogo.
In December, a mass grave containing 21
skulls was discovered near the military barracks that had served as
Sanogo"s headquarters. Sanogo already has been charged with
complicity in the kidnapping of his fellow soldiers.
Mali ex-defense minister charged insoldier deaths, The New Zealand Herald, February 15, 2014
***
14 Feb.
***
Canada-based Iamgold has confirmed a strike over redundancy pay
packages at its joint venture (JV) Sadiola and Yatela mines in Mali.
The strike comes in the wake of the company halting production at
Sadiola mine's FE3 pit, with mining operations now focussing on the
FE4 and Tambali pits to extract a higher-grade ore, reports Mining
weekly. The company's JV partner at the two mines, AngloGold Ashanti,
is in talks with the employees and their representatives including
the National Section of Mines and Industries to reach a solution
suited to all the stakeholders.
Iamgold Confirms Strike At Mali Mines,
Business Monitor Online, February 14, 2014
--
Gezondheid Mali-gangers streng bewaakt
Malariamuggen, met leisha-maniasis
besmette zandvliegen, giftige schorpioenen en bijtgrage slangen. De
kwartiermakers in Mali kunnen hun lol op. “Toch vormen de extreme
temperatuurschommelingen en het fijnstof het grootste gevaar voor de
gezondheid”, vertelt adviseur Hygiëne Preventie Gezondheidszorg
(HPG) eerste luitenant Robert de Vries.
ELNT Wouter Helders,
'Monitoren mamba’s en malariamuggen,' Defensiekrant Jaargang 1,
Nummer 3, 14 februari 2014
***
13 Feb.
***
Morocco and the European Union have a
partnership that is unique in the region, and those ties should now
be leveraged to boost security, the EU ambassador said Monday
(February 10th) in Casablanca.
"It is in our interests to work
together to find ways of protecting the region against the terrorist
threat," Ambassador Rupert Joy said at a panel discussion on
relations between Europe and the kingdom.
"In relation to all the insecurity problems in the Sahel,
northern Mali and Libya, Morocco is a strategic partner of the
European Union," Joy said at the EU embassy event.
Hassan Benmehd, Morocco, EU Partner Against Terrorism,
Magharebia, February 13, 2014
--
Part of much longer report: But Sanogo
and his followers are not just accused of killing Red Berets. In
September 2012, a mutiny was quenched when several of Sanogo's former
supporters revolted against him.
Thirty Green Berets were arrested and
then released, but at least eight men have disappeared.
Three bodies were found a month later
in October 2012. But the five other men are still missing and their
families are still waiting for answers to see if their brothers, sons
and husbands are alive.
Nantoume Fatoumata Doumbia's brother,
Lassine Keita, disappeared while drinking in a bar in Kati in
September 2012. His body was found a few days later.
"I knew what happened. The day
after the mutiny, Sanogo said that he will kill all the ones that
rose up [against him]," she tells IPS calmly.
Waiting for Justice for Mali's MissingSoldiers, Inter Press Service (Johannesburg), February 13, 2014
--
MINING AngloGold rose 3.5% to R185.50 yesterday. The firm said its
Yatela and Sadiola mines in Mali were operating normally even as
about 2,000 workers employed by contractors started a strike. &
At this stage, production at both mines is proceeding as normal&
with & a minority of employees& taking part in the walkout
that started on Monday, AngloGold said yesterday. Bloomberg
BUSINESS BRIEF, Business Day (South
Africa), February 13, 2014
***
12 Feb.
***
The 'Flamme de la Paix' monument lies on the northwestern outskirts
of Timbukutu, Mali. There, on 27 March 1996, hundreds of weapons were
symbolically destroyed, and representatives from the Malian
government and Tuareg rebel movements promised to promote peace and
reconciliation in a region wracked by bitter conflict.
But 16 years later, the country descended into its worst crisis ever.
Mali's north, including Timbuktu, was overrun by both Tuareg
separatists and Jihadists; the south witnessed a coup and the
temporary collapse of the democratic system. The recovery process
remains fragile.
Time to Rekindle Timbuktu's Flame, UN
Integrated Regional Information Networks (Nairobi), February 12, 2014
Wednesday
--
MINESWorkers at AngloGold Ashanti's Sadiola and Yatela gold mines in Mali
started a five-day strike yesterday, demanding better redundancy
payouts, Alfouseyni Toure, secretary-general of the civil engineering,
mines and energy labour confederation Synacome, said yesterday. By
midday, 70% and 95% of workers had downed tools at Sadiola and Yatela
respectively.
Business Day (South Africa), February 12, 2014
--
Tamanrasset, where the flight had departed from, lies in the far
south of Algeria, near the border with Mali, and is the main base for
the country's southern military operations.
Extra troops and equipment have been stationed there in recent months
as part of efforts to beef up surveillance of Algeria's frontiers
with Mali and Libya, following a deadly hostage-taking by Islamist
militants at a desert gas plant in January last year.
Lone survivor found as Algeria plane
crash kills 77; Authorities say 77 people died when a military plane
crashed in the east of the country, telegraph.co.uk, February 12,
2014
--
It all got off to a bad start, in
spring 2012, from Washington's viewpoint: a Socialists had been
elected to the Elysee [French presidency], and one, moreover, who had
proclaimed during his campaign his intention of withdrawing French
troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible. Almost two years after,
the atmosphere has changed entirely: Obama's America has rolled out
the red carpet for Francois Hollande, its French friend. This return
to favour is due chiefly to the strategic cooperation between the two
countries, mainly in the Sahel. But also, probably, to something of a
dirty conscience on America's part following last summer's episode in
connection with Syria.
The turning point occurred in Mali last year. The Obama
administration appreciated Paris' resolute engagement in the
antiterrorist struggle in the Sahel and made this known by supporting
Operation Serval. For instance, the United States provided the French
with in-flight refueling aircraft, logistical transport, and
intelligence. It subsequently agreed to sell them to observation
drones right away, and these were deployed at their base in Niamey,
Niger, alongside the American aircraft already deployed there.
Static - Paris would now like to
capitalize on this support by encouraging the Americans to formalize
a partnership in the Sahel to prevent the jihadist networks from
re-emerging elsewhere, in a area that is difficult to control. During
a preparatory visit to Washington at the end of January, Defence
Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced the establishment of a "high
level strategic analysis group" focusing on that region, though
this is still "embryonic," according to a source close to
the matter in Washington.
This, because Paris is engaged in a long-term strategy to curb the
terrorist threat in the Sahel. According to plans drawn up by the
Defence Ministry in Paris, 3,000 men will be permanently stationed in
the region, from Mauritania to Chad via Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
The key idea is to move on from the present somewhat static presence
to the establishment of more streamlined and therefore more nimble
footholds, which will make it possible to adapt to what is a highly
mobile cross-border threat. "The United States is still to a
large extent committed to a country by country approach," one
analyst in Washington commented. "The French want to encourage
Washington to adopt a more regional approach." But by involving
the Americans more, France also wants to share the burden - an
expression generally used by Washington... with respect to its
European allies.
Thomas Hofnung and Lorraine Millot,
French commentary identifies limits to "military honeymoon"
with USA, Liberation on 12 February 2014 (via BBC Monitoring Europe -
Political)
***
11 Feb.
***
Aid workers in northern Mali who have been missing since Saturday
have been kidnapped by an Islamist terrorist group.
The four-person Red Cross team and a
veterinarian from another aid organisation were seized, along with
their vehicle, by militants from the Movement for Oneness and Jihad
in West Africa (Mujao).
According to a spokesman for the group,
all five of the captured aid workers "are alive and in good
health".
Alexis Heeb, a spokesman for the Red
Cross, said that all five are Malian citizens.
"Thanks to God we seized a 4x4
[vehicle] of the enemies of Islam with their accomplices," Yoro
Abdoulsalam, a spokesman said, confirming it was the Red Cross team
reported missing in recent days.
Tony Bonnici, Red Cross workerscaptured by Mali jihadists, thetimes.co.uk, February 11, 2014
***
10 Feb
***
N'Djamena (Alwihda Info) - Chadian
President Idriss Deby has agreed to the extension of the French
military base. The new redeployment of the French military presence
concerns strengthening its troops in Chad with 300 new soldiers with
a new extension to the north of the country. This involves
strengthening the military presence at Faya and creating a new base
at Zouar. To have a watchful eye on what is happening in southern
Libya to prevent any attempt to destabilize the border belt in
Africa, is the objective of the new French strategy.
"Chad: France Opens Military Base
at Zouar to Monitor Libya", Alwihda website in French 10 Feb 14,
(via BBC Monitoring Africa - Political)
--
Conventional arms: Mali Workshop on
Small Arms, Light Weapons, 12-14 February
Mali’s National Commission for the Fight against the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons and the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) are jointly organizing a workshop in Bamako, from 12 to 14 February, for the validation of the 2014-2018 National Action Plan to combat the proliferation and illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons. Funded by Germany since December 2013, UNREC supports the National Commission’s development of Mali’s National Action Plan, which will guide the country’s small arms control activities for the period 2014-2018. The project includes the following activities: visits to different regions of Mali to consult local stakeholders on the content of the National Action Plan; ensuring that the Plan meets international arms control standards and abides by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons; a workshop to validate the 2014-2018 National Action Plan with the participation of all stakeholders involved in the fight against the proliferation of and illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons; and the delivery of information technology equipment, as well as a vehicle to support the proper functioning of the National Commission on Small Arms in Bamako and other regions of Mali.
Mali’s National Commission for the Fight against the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons and the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) are jointly organizing a workshop in Bamako, from 12 to 14 February, for the validation of the 2014-2018 National Action Plan to combat the proliferation and illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons. Funded by Germany since December 2013, UNREC supports the National Commission’s development of Mali’s National Action Plan, which will guide the country’s small arms control activities for the period 2014-2018. The project includes the following activities: visits to different regions of Mali to consult local stakeholders on the content of the National Action Plan; ensuring that the Plan meets international arms control standards and abides by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons; a workshop to validate the 2014-2018 National Action Plan with the participation of all stakeholders involved in the fight against the proliferation of and illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons; and the delivery of information technology equipment, as well as a vehicle to support the proper functioning of the National Commission on Small Arms in Bamako and other regions of Mali.
Workshop on Small Arms, Light Weapons,12-14 February, United Nations Press Release DC/3477 AFR/2811, 10
February 2014 (met dank aan Frank Slijper voor het doorgeven).
--
News: Minister for Interior Security General Sada Samaka has said
that the Mouvement pour le Tawhîd et du Jihad en Afrique de l'Ouest
(Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa, MUJAO) was behind the
killing of 31 Touaregs in an attack on February 7. Addressing Malian
national television on February 9, he said that the attack took place
somewhere near the town of Tamkoutat in northern Mali. MUJAO has not
claimed responsibility for the attack. Although initial reports said
that the killings were a result of ethnic clashes between the
Touaregs and the Peuls, security sources now claim that they were
used as a diversionary tactic by MUJAO to conduct suicide attacks on
military installations.
Minister Claims MUJAO Killed 31
Touaregs, Business Monitor Online, February 10, 2014
--
Also, the Commander of the African-led International Support Mission
to Mali (MISMA), Major-General Shehu Usman Abdul Kadir, revealed that
Nigeria alone accounts for at least 70 per cent of the illegal SALW
circulating within the West African sub-region.
Nigeria; Too Dangerous to Wait, This
Day (Lagos), February 10, 2014
--
The French Air Force is flying MQ-9
Reaper UAVs from Niger to back up special forces in northern Mali.
On Jan. 30, Air Force Lt Col. Christophe Fontaine told journalists
the two UAVs were filling the ISR mission “extremely well.”
Pierre Tran, Europe France Eyes
King Air, Upgrades for C-130, Defense News, 10 February 2014
--
The EU is encouraging the constitution of a regional coordination
platform between various countries in the Sahel region in a bid to
promote more security. The procedures for setting up the platform
will be decided in Bamako, Mali, in April. During a high-level
meeting, held in Brussels on 6 February, the Secretary-General of the
European External Action Service, Pierre Vimont, invited ministers of
foreign affairs from the Sahel region to the second phase of the
joint UN-African Union, EU-World Bank-African Development Bank
strategy. Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Niger, Chad and other countries
in the region discussed the ways in which a coordination platform
could be implemented in the Sahel, which would aim to promote
security and economic development. The meeting in Bamako in April
will allow those present to agree on how to effectively implement
this platform and to establish a technical secretariat.
SECURITY STRATEGY IN SAHEL,
Europolitics (daily in English), February 10, 2014
***
9 Feb.
***
Soframe and Iveco won their first contract from France's Porteur Polyvalent Terrestre (PPT) programme in December 2010 with a France's defence procurement agency (DGA) order for 200 vehicles. The first vehicles were delivered in June 2013 and quickly saw service in Mali. So far, 80 PPTs have been delivered. Guillaume Belan, France orders 250 moreIveco PPT trucks, IHS Jane's Defence Weekly, 09 February 2014
--
[Presenter] Cattle rustling is also one of the causes of the acts of
violence between the Peul and Tuareg communities in northeastern part
of Mali over the last few days. This week, about 30 Imrad Tuaregs
were killed near the town of Gao. The Peul were chased away in
retaliation on Friday [7 February] to the border with Niger. Similar
acts of violence broke out earlier between the two communities in the
same area in November [2013]. That clash killed many people among the
Tuaregs and at least about 50 among the Peul.
According to one of the leaders of the
Peul community, Abdulaziz Souleymane, one of the problems is impunity
of the cattle rustlers.
[Souleymane] There has never been any
justice and even often the justice is powerless. This is because it
is the wearers of uniform who indulge in such acts. The justice
cannot act and therefore, the people have the feeling that they are
left to their own devices and finally everybody was forced to look
for weapons to defend themselves. [Passage omitted].
If the weapons are withdrawn from
everybody, they will find it necessary to lay down the weapons. I
would wish that the Peul community and the Tamashek community should
meet to really bury the hatchet because it is not in the interest of
anybody today to indulge in these inter-communal clashes especially
that they are forced to live together.
[Presenter] That was Abdulaziz Souleymane, one of the leaders of the
Peul communities in north-eastern Mali in an interview with our
correspondent Christine Muratet.
Malian community leader calls for peace
following clashes in northeast, Source: Radio France Internationale,
Paris, in French 0430 gmt 9 Feb 14 (BBC Monitoring Africa -
Political)
--
Anti-terrorism vigilance in [Malian
capital] Bamako has been reinforced since yesterday evening. Several
UN agencies staff and nationals from western countries have received
instructions to avoid public places and security has been reinforced
around UN agencies.
Anti-terrorism vigilance reinforced in
Malian capital Source: Radio France Internationale, Paris, in French
0430 gmt 9 Feb 14 (via BBC Monitoring Africa - Political)
***
7 Feb.
***
[Remarks by French Foreign Minister
Laurent Fabius at joint press conference with Malian Prime Minister
Oumar Tatam Ly 7 February]
[Unidentified reporter] Minister, the situation is better in Mali but
very bad in Libya. Some friends of France are calling for an
international intervention, though I don't know in what form. One
French military leader said that such an intervention would be the
ideal solution. Is such an operation being envisaged, or could it be?
[Fabius] No. It's not Mali: it's Libya. The situation in Libya is
difficult, and you're right to stress that, for whole range of
reasons, and particularly for security reasons. But no military
intervention is being envisaged, if that's what you're referring to,
no.
However, in a few days' time in Rome
there will be a conference, following other meetings, including a
conference that took place in Paris last February. And we will
examine what can be done to help our Libyan friends, and particularly
Prime Minister Ali Zaydan.
All the neighboring countries, and more
generally the major countries of the international community want
stability in Libya. Libya is a great country by virtue of its
territory, it is a potentially rich company, and, as you know, there
is clearly a risk of terrorist groups becoming established in the
South.
And our experience in Mali, and our experience now elsewhere shows us
that a situation must not be allowed to fester. Indeed, we often
discuss this both with our fellow permanent members of the Security
Council -- I have in mind the Americans, the British, and the
Russians - and also with neighbors and friends, whether Mali, Niger,
Algeria, Tunisia, or Egypt.
So France's analysis is that we must
strengthen Libya's stabilization. And, I repeat, with a view to the
meeting in Rome in early March, I've been in touch with Prime
Minister Zaydan to work on a number of ideas.
French foreign minister rules out intervention in Libya, Text of report by French Foreign Ministry website www.diplomatie.gouv.fr on 7 February, (via BBC Monitoring Europe - Political)
French foreign minister rules out intervention in Libya, Text of report by French Foreign Ministry website www.diplomatie.gouv.fr on 7 February, (via BBC Monitoring Europe - Political)
--
"The government would like to
inform the national and international opinion that on 6 February,
around Tamkoutak, in the Djebok [as heard] rural council situated
some 140 km north east of Gao, a dozen of armed individuals
ruthlessly gunned down about 30 people travelling on board two
vehicles, burning one of the vehicles and highjacking the second one.
In addition, on the same day and in the same area, a group of
assailants attacked a third transport car, kidnapped and shot
dwellers of a nomadic settlement.
About 30 killed in northern Mali
shooting, Text of report by Malian state-owned ORTM TV on 7 February
(via BC Monitoring Africa)
--
King Mohammed VI will be in Mali from 12 to 14 February 2014 for a state visit at the invitation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
On contacts with MNLA and struggle for influence in Mali by Algeria and Morocco.
Maliactu, website in French, 7 February 2014
--
On state of 38 year old Malian army
Courant 2013, deux hélicoptères de l’armée malienne ont crashé en moins d’un mois prouvant les difficultés de gestion de la logistique de cette unité. Le 13 mars 2013, un hélicoptère malien a heurté à sa descente à Diabaly un pick up de la force Badenya tuant du coup un militaire. Quelques semaines après, soit le 12 avril 2013, un autre hélicoptère malien a crashé à une cinquantaine de kilomètres de Sévaré. Cinq pilotes maliens ont trouvé la mort.
Maliactu, Website in French, 7 February 2014
***
6 Feb.
***
We come back to Bamako where a conference on how to better counter
the spread of Islamist ideology in Western Africa was launched today.
The aim of the meeting is to develop strategies to foster sustainable
peace and the security of the people of the sub-region
Mali hosts conference on strategies to counter Islamist ideology in West Africa, Excerpt from report by Malian state-owned ORTM TV on 6 February (via BBC Monitoring Africa - Political)
Mali hosts conference on strategies to counter Islamist ideology in West Africa, Excerpt from report by Malian state-owned ORTM TV on 6 February (via BBC Monitoring Africa - Political)
--
[Reporter] Concerning the situation in Kidal, the minister said that
the German position is for Mali to be able to ensure its own security
and disarmament of armed groups and reconciliation.
[Ursula von der Leyen, German defense minister] It is necessary that
Mali is able to ensure its own security. We are very impressed with
the president and his cabinet are working to unify the country and
not only to disarm all armed groups in this country but also to reach
reconciliation if necessary.
[Reporter] According to Mali's defense minister, the cooperation with
Germany will help our country rebuild its military which should be
able to ensure the sovereignty of the Malian state and contribute to
regional and international stability.
Source: ORTM TV, Bamako, in French 2000
gmt 6 Feb 14 (via BBC Monitoring Africa)
--
News: Australian gold miner Papillon Resources has reported initial results from a drilling campaign at its Fekola gold project located in the West African country, Mali, reports proactive investors.com Papillon Reports Initial Drilling Results. The drilling hit likely gold deposits of 9 metres (m) at 2.34 grams per tonne gold (g/t) and 4 m at 4.11 g/t gold. The company aims to expand the resource base around Fekola project, with a focus on delineation of new open pittable resources. Papillon Reports Initial Drilling Results, Business Monitor Online, February 6, 2014
--
(...) The North Remains in Economic Crisis
But while the country's capital is experiencing a slow recovery,
Mali's north still lacks economic opportunities and many are still
living in extreme poverty, says Dedeou Traore, a member of parliament
for the northern region of Niafunke.
"The economy is bad," Traore
tells IPS. Northerners, whose livelihoods were largely dependent on
subsistence agriculture, have lost everything.
Mali; Economic Crisis Plagues North,
Inter Press Service (Johannesburg), February 6 2014
[Hofnung] French Chief of General Staff
Edouard Guillaud recently cited the need for an international
operation in southern Libya. What do you think about that?
[Hassoumi] We want such an intervention, and I would even say that we
strongly encourage it. President Mahamadou Issoufou has said so
several times. Now this idea is making headway in Paris, and we
welcome the fact. This, because, since Operation Serval in Mali,
southern Libya has become the main safe haven for terrorist groups in
the region. Several thousand combatants -some 4,000, according to our
information -have found refuge there. They have infrastructures
comparable to those that French forces destroyed in northern Mali.
[Hofnung] Who could lead this
operation?
[Hassoumi] Such a mission falls to the
countries that carried out the intervention in Libya against
Al-Qadhafi in 2011 -France and the United States. It is up to them to
provide an after sales service. In any case, we cannot stand idly by.
Southern Libya is a cancer that threatens to spread and that could
among other things destabilize neighbouring Egypt.
[Hofnung] Is it affecting your own
country's stability as well?
[Hassoumi] We're confronted with
attempted incursions every day, but we've adopted the necessary
measures. With the help of our French and American allies, we have
our northern border under very close surveillance. And particularly
the Salvador pass area, on the borders of Libya and Algeria, through
which terrorists and smugglers - they are often the same - pass. With
the help of neighbouring countries, we want to make it watertight.
[Hofnung] Are you requesting military
aid to achieve this?
[Hassoumi] We already enjoy major aid
in terms of intelligence and air support from our French and American
partners. We don't need foreign troops on the ground: it's up to us
to do that job. However, we do need financial support.
[Hofnung] Paris is redeploying its
military presence in the Sahel belt. Would you accept a permanent
French presence in northern Niger?
[Hassoumi] That's not necessary. The
French and American forces are already on the ground, but for
isolated missions. Furthermore, French elements provide security at
the uranium mines operated by Areva.
Nigerien minister urges France, USA to
lead military operation in south Libya, Source: Liberation, Paris, in
French 6 Feb 14; p 9 (via BBC Monitoring Europe)
--
BERLIN (AP) The German government has paved the way to expand its
military deployment in Mali, raising the number of soldiers who can
serve on a training mission in the West African nation.
Chancellor Angela Merkel"s spokesman Steffen Seibert says her
Cabinet decided Wednesday to raise the country"s maximum troop
strength in Mali to 250 from the current 180. The decision requires
parliamentary approval.
Germany currently has 104 troops in the
European Union mission training Malian soldiers, and officials have
said they want to step up that effort part of a cautious move toward
a more active foreign-policy role by Merkel"s new government.
Germany paves way for expanded Mali
mission, The New Zealand Herald, February 6, 2014
***
5 Feb.
***
The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) welcomes the United Nations Security Council's call for Mali's government and rebel groups to resume talks, an MNLA member told Al-Jazeera on 5 February.
The
Security Council called on Bamako and rebels to conclude talks as soon
as possible, warning that failure to do so would radicalize fighters and
undo fragile security gains.
Speaking in a phone
interview, Mahmoud Aghali, a member of the MNLA political committee,
said his group has always welcomed such international appeals, stressing
that it has always been the side to respond to them since the start of
the crisis two years ago.
He cited as example what
he called the MNLA's a unilateral ceasefire after liberating the Azawad
territory from the occupying army of Mali.
Having welcomed the UN call for resumption of talks, the group is now awaiting the response of the Malian government, he noted.
On
the visit of the MNLA leader Bilal Ag Acherif to Morocco, he said it
was in response to an invitation extended by King Mohammed VI whose
country put forward a serious initiative to help find a solution to the
problem and establish stability in the Sahel region.
Asked about the Algerian position, Aghali said Algeria has been long accustomed to dealing with the Mali dossier on its own, but the situation now has gone beyond that phase.
The onus is on all parties to the decades-long conflict to work together to find a solution
Now,
Algeria seems to be upset over the Moroccan role, as reflected in its
behaviour in the past two days, he said, citing the expulsion of an MNLA
Political Bureau member from Algeria and what he called border
harassment.
Mali rebel group welcomes UN call for resumption of peace talks Source: Al-Jazeera TV, Doha, in Arabic 2100 gmt 5 Feb 14
--
Mali experienced relatively rapid
economic growth from 2000 to 2011, and we expect that the
reestablishment of government control will allow the country to
return to its pre-war economic trajectory. BMI predicts that real GDP
growth will reach 6.1% in 2014, and will average 5.5% between 2014
and 2018. Growth will be driven by rising agricultural production,
the recovery of investment spending - which fell by 13.6% in real
terms in 2012 - and increased exports.
We note that the 2012-2013 crisis had a relatively minimal impact on
Mali's headline GDP figures; recently released data reports that GDP
contracted by just 1.7%. There are two key reasons for this. The
first is that the crisis largely took place in Mali's arid north, a
sparsely-populated area that contributes less than 5% of GDP.
Violence displaced almost 600,000 people, but it had little impact on
an economy that is firmly centred on the more populous southern
provinces. The one exception to this is Mali's northern-based tourism
sector, which collapsed in 2012 and which we predict will struggle to
attract visitors for years to come.
Secondly, BMI notes that two of Mali's key industries both saw
production rise in 2012. Favourable rains in the southern
agricultural areas boosted cotton yields, while higher prices
encouraged farmers to return to planting the crop. Gold production -
which is based in the southwest - also rose due to the expansion of
several mines. Exports increased by 12.0% in real terms, a boost to
growth that largely counterbalanced the fall in investment,
government, and consumer spending. Export growth will continue in
2014 and, combined with a domestic recovery, this will drive headline
GDP growth to its highest level since 2005.
Economic Recovery, Lasting Political
Fragility, Business Monitor Online, February 5, 2014
--
BAMAKO, Mali (AP) An official says two
rockets have been fired at a French army base in northern Mali during
a visit by France"s top military officer, but missed their
target and caused no casualties.
Remi Libessart, a French military
spokesman, said the attack occurred Tuesday morning while Adm.
Edouard Guillaud was at the camp near the airport in Gao, but landed
away from the site. He said it was not known who fired the rockets.
Gao was controlled by MUJAO, an al-Qaida-linked jihadist group, when
northern Mali fell to Islamic extremists in 2012. France launched a
military intervention in January 2013 that scattered the extremists,
but security remains precarious.
Rockets fired at N. Mali French army
base, The New Zealand Herald, February 5, 2014
***
4 Feb.
***
During the formal program to venerate Liberia's Armed Forces Day, all
sorts of thought-provoking and motivational speeches are delivered
and many promises are renewed. However, this year's celebration seems
very interesting, because it comes at a time when Liberia was able to
contribute troop to the United Nations backed peacekeeping force in
Mali for the first time in the history of post-war Liberia. It comes
at a time when the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) is
gradually drawing down and in fact plans are on the way to end
mission sometime this year.
Extolling the Armed Forces of Liberia - Grandfather's Rekindled Hope, The New Dawn (Monrovia), February 4,
2014
--
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) A group that monitors jihadist communications
says a new Mali-focused jihadist media body has formed to push back
against what it describes as flawed reporting on the military
situation in the West African country.
The SITE Intelligence Group said Monday the al-Sahel Media Center
announced on Twitter and a separate jihadist forum that it was
replacing the al-Murabiteen Media Foundation of the Movement for
Oneness and Jihad in West Africa, which has operated in northern
Mali.
In one of its messages, the al-Sahel
Media Center disputed reports extremists had been scattered by
France"s intervention. It said the media service was necessary
to counter "Arab and Crusader media campaigns."
Mali-focused jihadist media body forms,
The New Zealand Herald, February 4, 2014
***
3 Feb.
***
The company said it produced 910,374 ounces last year, up from
794,844 ounces in 2012 and that gold sales also rose despite
weakening global demand. In 2014 the company plans to increase
production by up to 30pc mainly from better grades of ore extracted
from its Loulo-Gounkoto mines in Mali and higher productivity at its
Tongan pit on the Ivory Coast. Randgold will also book the first full
year of production from its Kibali mine in the Congo.
Andrew Critchlow, Randgold eyes
acquisitions and higher gold production;
Chief executive tellsthe Telegraph that the African-focused gold miner won't "hesitate to take opportunities" for M&A in the current market, telegraph.co.uk, February 3, 2014
Chief executive tellsthe Telegraph that the African-focused gold miner won't "hesitate to take opportunities" for M&A in the current market, telegraph.co.uk, February 3, 2014
--
[Presenter] The visit of the delegation
of the UN Security Council ended in the Malian capital, Bamako [on 3
February]. According to our correspondent in Mali, Serge Daniel, on
the last day of the visit, some events took place. There was a
meeting with the three main armed groups from the north.
[Daniel] Well, obviously, the three movements which are the MNLA
[National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad], the HUA [High
council for the Unity of the Azawad] and the MAA [Arab Movement for
the Azawad] also spoke with one and the same voice. They agreed to
the immediate resumption of the negotiations and to the respect of
the territorial integrity of Mali.
However, they also told the UN emissaries that it was important to go
further in the decentralisation policy so as to resolve the crisis in
the north of Mali. They, therefore, demanded a special status, if not
independence, for the north of Mali. It is therefore with this demand
that the three armed groups will go to future discussions.
It also remains the problem of
disarmament. There also, while the rebel groups were mentioning the
preliminary Ouagadougou Accord, they told the UN emissaries that
there will not be any full disarmament without any real negotiations.
[Presenter] Obviously, Serge, do you
know if the negotiations will resume? Was a timetable drawn?
[Daniel] At the moment, no date for the
resumption of the negotiations was fixed. In principle, in the short
run, there should have been a roadmap but there remains the reaching
of an agreement. Until today, there are some people among the armed
groups who want the negotiations to take place in Burkina Faso and
there are some who want the king of Morocco to play the role of
facilitator and those who want to see Algeria play an important role
side by side with him.
[Presenter] Thank you Serge Daniel. He
was speaking live from Bamako for RFI.
UN Security Council delegation meets
Mali's armed groups in Bamako, Source: Radio France Internationale,
Paris, in French 1930 gmt 3 Feb 14 (via BBC Monitoring Africa
February 4, 2014)
--
The UN has estimated 1.2 million people
had to flee their homes due to violence and insecurity in the
drought-prone Sahel region, the ecoclimatic belt of land between the
Sahara desert to the north and the Sudania Savanna to the south that
includes parts of 13 countries. Many of those displaced hail from
Mali, Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
United Nations seeks $2 billion forstruggling Sahel region, DW,3 February 2014
***
Source illustration: http://mg.co.za/data/2013-06-28-00-graphic-us-militarys-presence-in-africa
***
1 Feb.
***
Mohammed VI of Morocco on Friday [31 January] received the secretary-general of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad which represents the Tuareg rebels in northern Mali, Bilal Ag Acherif, a few days after Algeria hosted a session of dialogue between the rebels which culminated in common grounds on re-launching the talks with the Bamako government on the crisis in the north.
A statement by the Movement for the Liberation of Azawad said: "The visit was within the framework of the movement's efforts to convey the Azawad people's message and seek support from all those with sincere will to attain its legitimate aspirations for establishing peace in Mali generally and in the Azawad region specifically."
The statement explained that the Moroccan king "urged the Movement for the Liberation of Azawad to remain open to political dialogue, and on its part the Azawad Movement's delegation stressed to HM King Mohammed VI its readiness for and commitment to a lasting political solution to the current dispute between the Azawad region and the Malian government".
A statement by the Moroccan Royal Palace said: "The royal audience was within the framework of the diligent and persistent efforts made by the king to establish lasting peace and stability in that brotherly country and contribute towards finding a solution to the Malian crisis since it broke out in January 2012."
The statement added: "The king stressed that the kingdom continued to care about the territorial integrity and stability in the Republic of Mali and also stressed the need to contribute towards finding a solution and reaching an agreement that would withstand extremist and terrorist movements which threaten the Arab Maghreb Union countries and the Sahel and Sahara region as well as providing impetus to development and ensuring the dignity of the brotherly Malian people and amity between all its constituents."
The meeting was held a few days after Algeria hosted a number of groups which represented the Tuareg rebels in northern Mali to discuss the grounds for launching talks to find a political solution to the dispute."
The meeting coincided with Malian President [Ibrahim] Boubacar Keita's visit to Algeria which culminated in a joint statement which said: "At the request of the brother Malians, Algeria began efforts to contribute towards the ongoing efforts made by the international community aimed at promoting comprehensive national dialogue within the framework of respect for the principles of transparency, honesty, effectiveness and responsibility to enable the Malians to follow that course in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council and the African Union's Peace and Security Council."
The statement added: "President Bouteflika conveyed to President Keita Algeria's complete readiness to stand by Mali in its effort to strengthen security and stability, maintain the country's territorial integrity and bring about reconciliation among all the Malians through dialogue and in line with the long-standing values of coexistence and accord which have been prevalent in Mali for a long time."
In a statement to Radio France Internationale [RFI] a few days ago, Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra said: "The negotiating Malian sides signed a preliminary agreement in Algeria which will become a basis for dialogue in the future. Algeria has opened the door to the brothers in Mali to think together and bring views closer in preparation for dialogue in Mali after they were asked to do so."
Lamamra said: "The first exploratory talks in Algiers were aimed at making forthcoming meetings more representative in terms of the number of negotiators." He pointed out that Algeria's efforts were aimed at bringing together all the players in northern Mali as well as the partners and to prepare a favourable political and psychological environment to take the talks forward.
The talks between the Malian government and the representatives of the Tuareg rebels in the north were hindered in the last few months and the African mediator Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore failed to keep them moving after the signing of the peace agreement in Ouagadougou in June 2013.
Algerian paper reports Moroccan king's meeting with Malian Azawad group, Echourouk El Youmi website, Algiers, in Arabic 1 Feb 14 (via BBC Monitoring Middle East - February 3, 2014)
Source illustration: http://mg.co.za/data/2013-06-28-00-graphic-us-militarys-presence-in-africa
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1 Feb.
***
Mohammed VI of Morocco on Friday [31 January] received the secretary-general of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad which represents the Tuareg rebels in northern Mali, Bilal Ag Acherif, a few days after Algeria hosted a session of dialogue between the rebels which culminated in common grounds on re-launching the talks with the Bamako government on the crisis in the north.
A statement by the Movement for the Liberation of Azawad said: "The visit was within the framework of the movement's efforts to convey the Azawad people's message and seek support from all those with sincere will to attain its legitimate aspirations for establishing peace in Mali generally and in the Azawad region specifically."
The statement explained that the Moroccan king "urged the Movement for the Liberation of Azawad to remain open to political dialogue, and on its part the Azawad Movement's delegation stressed to HM King Mohammed VI its readiness for and commitment to a lasting political solution to the current dispute between the Azawad region and the Malian government".
A statement by the Moroccan Royal Palace said: "The royal audience was within the framework of the diligent and persistent efforts made by the king to establish lasting peace and stability in that brotherly country and contribute towards finding a solution to the Malian crisis since it broke out in January 2012."
The statement added: "The king stressed that the kingdom continued to care about the territorial integrity and stability in the Republic of Mali and also stressed the need to contribute towards finding a solution and reaching an agreement that would withstand extremist and terrorist movements which threaten the Arab Maghreb Union countries and the Sahel and Sahara region as well as providing impetus to development and ensuring the dignity of the brotherly Malian people and amity between all its constituents."
The meeting was held a few days after Algeria hosted a number of groups which represented the Tuareg rebels in northern Mali to discuss the grounds for launching talks to find a political solution to the dispute."
The meeting coincided with Malian President [Ibrahim] Boubacar Keita's visit to Algeria which culminated in a joint statement which said: "At the request of the brother Malians, Algeria began efforts to contribute towards the ongoing efforts made by the international community aimed at promoting comprehensive national dialogue within the framework of respect for the principles of transparency, honesty, effectiveness and responsibility to enable the Malians to follow that course in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council and the African Union's Peace and Security Council."
The statement added: "President Bouteflika conveyed to President Keita Algeria's complete readiness to stand by Mali in its effort to strengthen security and stability, maintain the country's territorial integrity and bring about reconciliation among all the Malians through dialogue and in line with the long-standing values of coexistence and accord which have been prevalent in Mali for a long time."
In a statement to Radio France Internationale [RFI] a few days ago, Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra said: "The negotiating Malian sides signed a preliminary agreement in Algeria which will become a basis for dialogue in the future. Algeria has opened the door to the brothers in Mali to think together and bring views closer in preparation for dialogue in Mali after they were asked to do so."
Lamamra said: "The first exploratory talks in Algiers were aimed at making forthcoming meetings more representative in terms of the number of negotiators." He pointed out that Algeria's efforts were aimed at bringing together all the players in northern Mali as well as the partners and to prepare a favourable political and psychological environment to take the talks forward.
The talks between the Malian government and the representatives of the Tuareg rebels in the north were hindered in the last few months and the African mediator Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore failed to keep them moving after the signing of the peace agreement in Ouagadougou in June 2013.
Algerian paper reports Moroccan king's meeting with Malian Azawad group, Echourouk El Youmi website, Algiers, in Arabic 1 Feb 14 (via BBC Monitoring Middle East - February 3, 2014)
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Chancellor Angela Merkel's new defence chief Ursula von der Leyen said in an interview last weekend that Germany should engage more strongly in Africa by sending additional military trainers to Mali and supporting the French intervention in Central African Republic.
Germans oppose use of
troops in foreign wars, The Nation (Thailand), February 1, 2014
--
BAMAKO, Mali (AP) Humanitarian groups are warning that northern Mali
soon could be facing a serious food crisis unless more money is
raised.
The agencies warned Friday that more
than 800,000 people need immediate food aid and some 3 million people
nationwide are at risk.
February 1, 2014 Aid groups warn of
food crisis in northern Mali, The New Zealand Herald
Previous Flintlock blogs on Broekstukken:
The Dutch and the War on Terror … in Africa (11 Feb 2011)
Nederlanders in War on Terror….in Afrika (03 Feb 2011)
Previous Mali blogs on Broekstukken:
Chaos in Mali; collateral damage van de oorlog in Libië (16 Dec 2012)
Wapenleveranties aan Libië en de buurlanden (07 Sep 2012)
Flintlock 2013 (14 Nov 2013)
Mijn losse-Mali-wapens-flodders en signaleringen ... (14 Jan 2013)
Flintlock Kamervragen (26 Apr 2011)Nederlanders in War on Terror….in Afrika (03 Feb 2011)
Mali, de luwte in de storm (10 Jan 2014)
Mali in de pers (jan. 2014) (04 Jan 2014)
Voor of tegen (1): Mali (10 Nov 2013)
Terror in Nigeria with arms from Libya (24 Sep 2013)
Terreur in Nigeria met wapens uit Libië (19 Sep 2013)
