BAMAKO: Fresh clashes took place between Mali’s military and northern Tuareg rebels on Sunday, with the insurgents claiming to have taken control of two military bases in the town of Lere.
The rebel group known as Coordination of Azawad Movements has been fighting the military since August, a battle unleashed in part by the departure of UN peacekeepers that for years had assisted in maintaining a friable calm.
Rebels Claim Capture of Military Bases in Mali
But clashes seem to be intensifying as the two sides seek to take control of the territory in the desert center and north of Mali, just as the United Nations mission withdraws.
Last week, the rebel alliance, established by semi-nomadic Tuareg people, claimed it had attacked four army positions in the town of Bourem and also made away with weapons, ammunition, and vehicles.
“The group also took control of the two camps in the central town of Lere,” said Coordination of Azawad Movements spokesperson Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane.
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Mali’s military said in a post on X on Sunday that an assault had taken place in the town of Lere and that a reply was underway, without providing more details on the matter.
The Tuareg people have complained of government negligence and sought autonomy for the region. The Coordination of Azawad Movements inked a peace agreement with the government of Mali and pro-government militia in 2015.
