Mali: Operation "Menaka without weapons", a first assessment
Motorcycle thefts, looting of shops, villainous assassinations…: acts of banditry are almost daily in Ménaka © RFI / David Baché
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
In Mali, this initiative in the town and region of Ménaka, in the north of the country.
An operation carried out jointly by the Malian army and the armed groups signatories to the peace agreement, called “Menaka without weapons”, was initiated a little over a month ago.
This operation aims to reduce terrorist attacks but also acts of banditry, frequent in the area.
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The Menaka region is a field of action for the terrorists of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and especially of the Islamic State group in the Great Sahara.
As for the road which connects the town of Ménaka to Ansongo on one side, and the Niger border on the other, it is the scene of almost daily acts of banditry.
Businesses attacked, livestock stolen, the inhabitants of Ménaka have complained for many years about insecurity.
As part of the actions initiated by the governor of the region, the “Menaka without weapons” operation has been uniting the Malian army and the armed groups that signed the 2015 peace agreement for just over a month.
"
The interior of the town of Ménaka is first entrusted to the Malian security forces,"
explains Moussa Ag Acharatoumane, who heads one of these groups, the MSA, joined by
David Baché
from the Africa service of RFI.
They patrol, day and night, in collaboration with the Barkhane force and the Minusma.
As for us, the armed movements: first we the Platform, we finished a belt outside the town of Ménaka so that there is no road leading to Ménaka that we do not control not.
Later, our brothers from the CMA joined us
”
.
In short
, “
inside the city, it is the Malian armed forces and their partners.
And outside the city, it is the signatory armed movements that control it.
"
Since the end of September, around ten arrests have been made.
The initiators of this operation ask the new transitional authorities to support their action in order to make it sustainable.
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See also
: In Mali, the CMA and the Platform sign an agreement on securing Ménaka
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To listen also:
Mali / Menaka [Series 1/4]: insecurity and economy
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