DAKAR: A mainly Tuareg separatist coalition on Sunday claimed a decisive victory over Mali’s national army and its Russian allies after three days of fierce combat near the Algerian border. The fighting, which erupted in the Tinzaouatene district, marks a notable development in the protracted conflict between separatist forces and the Malian government.
The separatist coalition, known as the Coalition of the Sahel People – Democratic People’s Alliance (CSP-DPA), reported that their forces routed enemy columns on Saturday. Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesman for the CSP-DPA, stated in a communiqué, “Our forces decisively obliterated these enemy columns on Saturday. A large amount of equipment and weapons were seized or damaged,” adding that prisoners were also taken during the confrontation.
The intense clashes, which began on Thursday, followed the Malian army’s announcement of recapturing several districts. Tinzaouatene, a district close to the Algerian border, has been a flashpoint in the conflict and has seen recurring battles between separatist forces and the national army over the past decade.
The separatist coalition said that seven of their fighters were killed and 12 wounded during the recent fighting. Meanwhile, the Malian military has not provided an official toll of their casualties or those of their Russian allies, although separatist sources claimed that significant losses were inflicted on the opposing side.
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Video footage shared by the separatists showed bodies lying on the ground, and some clips appeared to show white soldiers among the captured prisoners. According to local sources and former United Nations personnel in Kidal, at least 15 fighters from Russia’s Wagner mercenary group were reportedly killed or taken prisoner during the skirmishes.
Mossa Ag Inzoma, a member of the separatist movement, asserted that “dozens” of Wagner fighters and Malian soldiers had been either killed or captured. In contrast, the Malian army reported that its units, which had been engaged in the Tinzaouatene district, had begun a rearguard action between Friday and Saturday. The army’s communications are typically limited, and independent verification of the situation is challenging due to restrictions imposed by the ruling junta and the presence of armed groups in the area.
The Malian military had regained control of several districts in 2023, including the strategic area of Kidal, following a significant offensive. The junta, which seized power in a 2020 coup, has made it a priority to reclaim territory from separatist and forces. Allegations of human rights abuses by both the Malian army and Wagner forces have surfaced, though Malian authorities have denied such claims.
Since the 2012 uprising, Mali has been plagued by violence from rebels, as well as conflicts involving community self-defence groups and criminal organizations. The junta, led by Colonel Assimi Goita, assumed power citing the previous civilian government’s failure to address the unrest and shifted Mali’s alliances from France to Russia.
