Mali: the army in combat in Tessit in the north of the country

A Malian soldier between Mopti and Djenne in February 2020 (Illustration image) © MICHELE CATTANI/AFP

Text by: David Baché

2 mins

Eight Malian soldiers were killed on Friday February 18, 2021, near Tessit, in the North.

In a statement released over the weekend, the Malian army said it had responded and "neutralized" 57 jihadists.

The area of ​​Tessit, in the Gao region, has been the subject of fighting for several weeks between the GSIM, the Support Group for Islam and Muslims linked to al-Qaeda, and the EIGS, the Sahelian branch of the Islamic State group.

The two groups are fighting for control of the area, located near the borders with Niger and Burkina.

Many civilians were executed.

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The clash took place Friday afternoon in the Archam sector, west of Tessit.

Since last week, many security sources, NGOs and residents of this area have reported executions of civilians, more than 40 people killed by EIGS

and GSIM

- including men with their throats cut in front of women and children, according to testimonies collected by local associations - which accuse certain villages of collaborating with the rival camp.

More than 400 families had to flee, to Ansongo, Gao, Ntilit or even to neighboring Niger, and it was a unit of the Malian army in charge, precisely, of the protection of civilians which was taken to task on Friday afternoon by "unidentified armed men".

We know that the EIGS was then leading a major counter-offensive against the GSIM.  

Result: eight Malian soldiers killed, but also five missing and 14 wounded according to the staff of the armies of Mali, which indicates to have responded with air strikes against columns of men on motorcycles and claims 57 jihadists "neutralized".

The "sweeps" continued during the weekend, local sources close to the Malian soldiers evoke this morning more than 80 jihadists killed.

Requested this Monday morning on this new figure, the Malian army has not yet responded.

An impressive record that some security sources and researchers working in the area question: they cite in particular contradictory audio testimonies broadcast by EIGS fighters, whose words are not verifiable either.

But which in any case give the measure of the fighting and which attest to the action of the Malian army while, last week, the inhabitants of Tessit and the surrounding villages lamented being abandoned to their fate.

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  • mali

  • IS

  • al-Qaeda