Western Mali Security and Jihadist Activity
September 2023
Dear Readers,
Welcome to 14 North’s September 2023 Sahel Dispatch Western Mali Security Newsletter. This month, We look at jihadist activity and related security developments that took place in Western Mali—Kayes, Koulikoro, Segou, Sikasso, Timbuktu, and Taoudenni regions—throughout September. We focus on Western Mali because it's home to rich mineral deposits and several industrial mines, which generate the bulk of Mali's revenue. It also borders Senegal, Guinea, Mauritania, and Côte d'Ivoire, which have population centers and extensive commerce, business, and investment.
Overall, in September, jihadist activity increased in Koulikoro, Segou, Timbuktu, and Taoudenni but decreased in Kayes and Sikasso regions.
There was a series of major separate attacks against Malian military positions by jihadist groups and the non-jihadist Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), a coalition of predominantly Arab and Tuareg armed groups that had rebelled against Bamako in 2012 but in 2015 signed the Algiers Peace Accord. The attacks indicate that Mali’s government had no real control over the areas of the country along the Mauritania border, especially in the area between the border and Timbuktu. The city of Timbuktu itself remained under siege by jihadists.
The military offensive launched by Mali at the end of September against Kidal in northeastern Mali has increased the security threat in other regions of the country. Bamako has focused its limited resources on supporting this offensive, weakening its security measures in other areas.
UN peacekeeping forces (MINUSMA) continued their retreat from Mali. Their departure is increasing the security vacuum in northern Mali. The Malian military, accompanied by Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group, is moving to occupy positions held by MINUSMA, putting them on a collision course with the CMA.
On 16 September, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso signed the Liptako-Gourma Charter to establish the Alliance of Sahel States. The Alliance declared that any attack on the sovereignty or territorial integrity of one or more member states would be considered an aggression against all of them. The alliance aims to combine military and economic efforts within the three Sahelian countries to help each other defend against threats of armed rebellion or external aggression.
Our main takeaway from September is that the security situation in Mali is rapidly deteriorating. Developments in other parts of Mali and Niger reinforce our concerns about longer-term regional threats, including Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal, and Mauritania.
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