Mali: Bundeswehr mission becomes more dangerous

According to the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP), the security situation in Mali has deteriorated significantly during the month of July 2016. “In the north and the center of the West African country, more than 50 people got killed in politically motivated violence in the past seven days alone,” said the STP’s Africa-consultant, Ulrich Delius, in Göttingen on Monday. “Due to this new wave of violence, the Bundeswehr mission is becoming more dangerous. Now, the UN’s MINUSMA peacekeeping forces must ensure observance of the ceasefire in the embattled Tuareg stronghold of Kidal.”

According to the human rights advocate, the new wave of violence of the past week is also a serious setback for the German military instructors who are supposed to train Mali’s armed forces. When Islamist terrorists attacked the garrison Nampala on July 19, 2016, they killed 17 soldiers. “This is a new setback for Mali’s army,” said Delius. “The humiliating attack against Nampala is distressing, similar to the attack on the garrison Aguelhoc in January 2012. Back then, a total number of 97 soldiers lost their lives. Now, the question is how effective the training mission of the EU, in which German trainers are involved as well, can be.” The EUTM training mission started three years ago. 8,000 Malian soldiers, two-thirds of the Malian army, have been trained by now.

The base Nampala had fallen into the hands of Islamist terrorists without significant resistance. Neither the Malian army nor the MINUSMA-forces had not taken notice of the 18 heavily armed SUVs and 30 motorcycles until the terrorists actually attacked the garrison. “How is a badly trained army supposed to secure peace?” asked Delius. In Mali, there are already voices calling for Defense Minister Tiéman Hubert Coulibaly to resign. 

What’s more, more than 30 people lost their lives in clashes between the Tuareg tribes of the Ifoghas and the Imghad in the town of Kidal last week. While the Imghad joined the pro-government militia Gatia, most of the Ifogha are supporters of the dissident Tuareg. The conflict between the two groups has been going on for years. “It will not be possible to resolve the problems by force of arms in the scope of the MINUSMA-mission. We need more initiatives to mediate between the two Tuareg groups,” said Delius.

Header Photo: UN Photo/Marco Dormino