Mali: General Kéba Sangaré, one of the new governors, overwhelmed by the UN

Malian army soldier (illustrative image).

REUTERS / Benoit Tessier

Text by: David Baché

3 min

On Wednesday 25 November, the Council of Ministers of Mali decided on a long series of appointments within the ministries, in particular for National Reconciliation, with personalities not necessarily consensual, and especially with a very large number of soldiers in positions of governors (13 out of 20 regions).

Among the soldiers named, one name is more controversial: that of Brigadier General Kéba Sangaré, pinned in a recent United Nations report.

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In the aftermath of the reconquest of the North, in 2013, the Malian press painted him as a “ 

valiant officer

 ”, “ 

known for his rigor and his self-sacrifice

 ”.

He was then still a colonel and directed the operations in Timbuktu.

But it is a completely different portrait of General Kéba Sangaré that the United Nations group of experts on Mali draws up in its report written last August.

General Kéba Sangaré is described there as one of the obstacles to the application of the 2015 peace agreement. Having become Chief of Staff of the Army, he is said to have taken " 

questionable decisions

 " leading to several months of delay and " 

undermining confidence between the parties

 " involved in the process of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of armed groups.

The UN report denounces in particular " 

repeated attempts

 " by the Malian army to " 

circumvent the quotas agreed

 " for the different parties, for example for the reintegration of ex-rebels into the ranks of the national army and the distribution command posts.

► To read also: Ogossagou massacre in Mali: the UN report implicates senior officials

The UN points to its inaction in the Ogossagou massacre 

Even more serious: the UN experts point to the responsibility of General Kéba Sangaré in

the Ogossagou massacre

.

Last February, 35 people were killed and 19 missing after an attack by Dogon militias against this Fulani village.

Informed of the threat

 ", " 

more than ten hours

 " before the attack, write the UN experts, General Kéba Sangaré would have let the Malian soldiers stationed in the village leave, before the arrival of the relief, allowing the tragedy to unfold.

“ 

Following this attack

,” the report concludes, “

the President of Mali relieved General Keba Sangaré from his post of commander at the Center.

Last May, he was sacked from his post as Chief of Staff of the Malian army.

 On Wednesday, however, it was he who was appointed governor of the Bougouni region by the transitional authorities.

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