The Malian army deploys in Farabougou
Malian soldiers deployed in Farabougou, in the circle of Niono.
Agnes COUDURIER / AFP
Text by: David Baché
2 mins
The Malian army has entered in force in Farabougou, a village in the circle of Niono, in central Mali, which made headlines last year after being the scene of an unprecedented ceasefire agreement concluded directly with the jihadists.
But during the summer, the ceasefire was broken, leading to the arrival, this Sunday, of a large convoy of the Malian army.
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A video posted on social media shows Malian army trucks arriving in
the village of Farabougou
, surrounded by children shouting with joy.
Many local sources confirm the arrival on Sunday afternoon of several dozen vehicles from the Malian army, bringing a cargo of food aid, especially cereals.
“
It's a relief, very good news.
Now they must do everything so that we regain our freedom of movement
, ”says a resident.
In recent months, Katiba Macina jihadists have notably burned crops in surrounding fields and attacked civilian vehicles.
Last March,
a ceasefire agreement
was reached when
the village was surrounded by jihadists
from Katiba Macina, affiliated with the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (Jnim) linked to AQMI.
“ Humanitarian and operational”
objective
Today, soldiers are stationed in the village to secure it.
Food is regularly delivered by air.
This time, they arrived at the same time as the relief and in a massive way.
For security reasons, the Malian army's communication department does not provide any details on the numbers or the duration of the operation, but specifies that it began last Thursday, with a dual objective "
humanitarian and operational
".
Since December, the Fama have launched numerous offensives on several fronts, including in the circle of Niono, where Farabougou is located.
No specific report for this sector is available but the Malian army claims, in press releases published in recent days, dozens of terrorists killed or arrested and equipment - weapons and vehicles in particular - seized.
Several local sources, however, report destruction and acts of looting in Fulani villages near Farabougou, regularly accused of collusion with the jihadists.
Many families have already left the area to take refuge in the bush or in more distant localities, even in Mauritania.
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mali
Terrorism