Mali military operation kills over 200 terrorists

Mali military operation kills over 200 terrorists

Noriko Watanabe and Chika Mori

Modern Tokyo Times

The armed forces of Mali – during a military operation lasting from March 21-31 – says that it killed 203 terrorists. This comes at a time of increasing tensions with France. Therefore, the military operation in the Moura region will provide a timely boost to the authorities of this nation.

Recently, the authorities in Mali suspended Radio France Internationale and France 24. This followed negative reports about the armed forces of this country. Hence, the fear in Mali is that the government of President Emmanuel Macron of France is involved in intrigues against the country.

Voice of America reports, “An impoverished nation of about 21 million people, Mali has struggled to contain a jihadist insurgency that emerged in 2012, before spreading to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.”

Lee Jay Walker says, “According to the United Nations, the border regions of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have deteriorated. Yet, in truth, the deterioration of the Sahel region increased further after Libya was destabilized by America, France, the United Kingdom, and several Gulf powers.”

MINUSMA, the United Nations peacekeeping mission, reports, “The security situation in the Tri-border area… particularly in the localities of Tessit, Talataye, Ansongo and the Menaka region, has deteriorated considerably in recent weeks.”

In 2012, Relief Web – concerning the legacy of Libya – said, “While the impact of the crisis reverberated across the world, such neighboring countries as Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Mali, Mauritania, the Niger and Tunisia bore the brunt of the challenges that emerged as a result of the crisis. In a relatively short period of time, the Governments of these countries, especially those in the Sahel region, had to contend with the influx of hundreds of thousands of traumatized and impoverished returnees as well as the inflow of unspecified and unquantifiable numbers of arms and ammunition from the Libyan arsenal. Although the volume and the impact of the returnee population differs from one country to the other, the influx clearly has the potential to further exacerbate an already precarious and tenuous situation. In addition, these countries are directly threatened by an impending food security and nutrition crisis that could further exacerbate and negatively affect the political, social and economic situation in the region.”

Hence, the convulsions of the administration of President Barack Obama – and allies – continue to blight the Sahel region. Once Colonel Gaddafi was overthrown – and brutally murdered – the usual nations then spread chaos to other parts of the Middle East. Therefore, recent events in Mali are focused on regaining sovereignty and taking a different approach to the crisis.

Authorities in Mali said the special military operation was aimed at the “terrorist fiefdom” of the Moura region.

Reuters reports, “Civilians have been targeted during a cycle of reprisal attacks between ethnic Tuareg militia groups, including the Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (MSA), and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), according to MSA and local sources.”

https://www.voanews.com/a/mali-says-203-killed-in-military-operation-in-sahel-state/6512181.html

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/un-peacekeepers-deployed-northeastern-mali-amid-spate-killings-2022-03-31/