Politics

Jihadists kill 27 in Mali, as military junta leans on Russian mercenaries

Published

3 years ago

March 6, 2022

The Malian army has confirmed that one of its camps in central Mali was attacked by jihadists on Friday, killing 27 soldiers, 33 soldiers were injured while seven are missing.

The Mondoro (military) base which was attacked is near Mali’s border with Burkina Faso and has previously been targeted by jihadists fighting the Malian state and foreign forces. The Malian troop was however able to neutralise 47 “terrorists”.

The Mali War started in January 2012 between the northern and southern parts of Mali in Africa with several insurgent groups, Jihadist and separatist fighters with affiliations with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group began fighting a campaign against the Malian government for independence or greater autonomy for northern Mali, which they called Azawad. The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), an organization fighting to make this area of Mali an independent homeland for the Tuareg people, had taken control of the region by April 2012.

A peace deal between the government and Tuareg rebels was signed on 18 June 2013, however on 26 September 2013 the rebels pulled out of the peace agreement and claimed that the government had not respected its commitments to the truce. Fighting is still ongoing even though French forces are scheduled for withdrawal. A ceasefire agreement was signed on 19 February 2015 in Algiers, Algeria, but sporadic terrorist attacks still occur.

A French military source told newsmen that hundreds of jihadists attacked the camp of around 150 soldiers close to 0600 GMT, putting the death toll between 40 and 50. He also revealed that the jihadists seized 21 vehicles, including tanks, and injured more than 20 soldiers, the source added.

The source’s claim is a contradiction to Mali’s army official statement which noted the attack happened around 0530 GMT.

The source said Mali’s army did not request support from France’s Barkhane military operation because the camp was “where Barkhane was asked not to operate, probably because of the presence of Wagner mercenaries”, referring to the Russian paramilitary group.

Until recently, French-led military intervention ousted jihadists who were taking control of northern Mali and troops remained to provide support for anti-terrorist operations. But deteriorating relations with Mali’s new military leaders, who seized power in a 2020 coup, have prompted France to reconsider its role in the country.

It is reported that at the heart of the rift between France and authorities in Bamako is whether Mali should enter into negotiations with the jihadist groups that continue to rampage across the north and centre of the country. Bamako is in favour of opening discussions while Paris sees negotiations with jihadists as a red line that must not be crossed.

Politics

Nigeria’s Tinubu to visit South Africa for bilateral talks

Published

4 days ago

December 1, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In order to co-chair the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission with President Cyril Ramaphosa, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu will leave France on Monday for Cape Town, South Africa.

A ministerial meeting is slated for December 2, 2024, in the South African Parliament Building in Cape Town, and will be followed by the presidential Bi-National Commission on Tuesday, December 3.

In a statement issued on Sunday, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga stated that Tinubu and Ramaphosa will have in-depth talks on issues of mutual interest on a bilateral, regional, and global level.

“Building on the commitments from their meeting on June 20, 2024, in Johannesburg, shortly after President Ramaphosa’s inauguration for a second term in office, the two leaders will review the progress made since the 10th session of the BNC held in Abuja from November 29 to December 1, 2021.

“The 11th session of the BNC will feature deliberations across eight working groups, each focusing on a specific area of mutual interest. These include political consultations, consular and migration, banking and finance, defence and security, manufacturing, social sector, mines and energy, and trade and investments.

“At the high-level meeting, officials of both countries will sign several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements,” Onanuga said.

Founded in 1999, the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission seeks to deepen the two countries’ friendship and collaboration. The inaugural Heads of State session took place in Pretoria in October 2019.

The BNC offers a forum for maintaining high-level discussions and encouraging cooperation in vital fields including trade, economic growth, security, and diplomacy.

“This year’s meeting is particularly significant as it coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Commission, a testament to the enduring friendship and cooperation between Nigeria and South Africa. President Tinubu will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising state governors, ministers, and senior government officials. He will return to the country after the BNC meeting,” Onanuga added.

Politics

Mauritius PM wants independent review of UK-Chagos Islands deal

Published

5 days ago

November 30, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Prime Minister Keir Starmer wants to review an October political agreement that gives Mauritius sovereignty of the Chagos Islands while securing a 99-year lease on the base.

On Thursday, the British government expressed confidence that the deal to secure the future of a U.S.-British military base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia would be ratified.

Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam said that he had requested an independent review of a confidential draft agreement with Britain regarding the Chagos Islands.

The agreement still has to be ratified by both parties. The arrangement has been questioned by Ramgoolam, who won an election last month. He informed lawmakers on Thursday that the results of the study will be available for his new cabinet to take into account.

The foreign ministry of Britain chose not to react. Earlier this week, British Foreign Minister David Lammy expressed his confidence that the deal would be completed, noting that the Pentagon, State Department, and U.S. intelligence agencies had all embraced it.

According to him, Britain was pleased to provide the new Mauritius administration some time to review the specifics.

When the agreement was announced, U.S. President Joe Biden backed it, but after Donald Trump takes office in January, the next government may contest it.

Marco Rubio, Trump’s choice for secretary of state, has stated that the agreement presents a major risk to American security as it gives the island, which is a key base utilised by American warships and long-range bombers, to a Chinese ally.

London kept control of the Chagos Islands after Mauritius gained independence in the 1960s, and in the 1970s, it forcefully uprooted up to 2,000 inhabitants to create room for the base.

Following years of occasionally contentious discussions, Britain announced last month that it will turn over the islands. Many of the exiled Chagossians, however, claim they were not part of the talks and are unable to support it.

According to Olivier Bancoult of the Chagos Refugees Group, which works to protect Chagossians’ rights, he hopes the assessment will be completed as soon as possible.