Algeria carried out a major military exercise on the border with Mali
The Algerian army carried out a large-scale “tactical exercise” on Tuesday February 27 on the border with Mali.
He was supervised by the chief of staff of the national army in person, General Saïd Chanegriha.
This exercise, which takes place in a context of strong tensions with the neighboring country, also serves as a message addressed to the Malian transitional authorities.
(Illustrative image) Algerian soldiers.
AP
By: David Baché
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The exercise took place in the Bordj Badji Mokhtar sector, a desert area crossed by a mountain range which gave its name to the simulation: “Hoggar Storm 2024”.
The soldiers carried out, according to details provided by the Algerian Ministry of Defense
,
combat actions using live ammunition, an air landing operation carried out by helicopter-borne special forces, or even a parachute operation “
into the depths of the defenses ( ...) of an unconventional enemy
.”
A few kilometers away, on the other side of the Malian border, the Jnim (Support Group for Islam
and
Muslims) linked to
al-Qaeda
is particularly active.
“
Show of force
”
But it is not only the jihadists who worry Algeria.
In recent months, the Malian army and its proxies from the Russian Wagner group have also carried out regular actions on the Algerian border, including, recently, drone strikes, as part of so-called “
anti-terrorist
” operations.
Does this exercise constitute a form of warning?
“
It’s a show of force
,” replies an Algerian researcher who requested anonymity.
According to this specialist in defense issues, the scale and media coverage of this exercise are “not
usual
”.
“
When the army does this, it is to send a message,”
analyzes this expert, “
we saw it in the past with
Libya
.
It’s a way of saying in
Mali
: “
we are here and we are strong
”
.
»
"
Tight relationships
"
The Algerian press, which widely reported on this exercise, did not fail to recall the “
tense relations
” currently maintained by Algiers and Bamako.
At the end of January, the Malian transitional authorities accused Algeria
of “unfriendly acts
”, “
hostility
” and “
interference
”.
It was during the announcement officially ending the peace agreement concluded in 2015 with the northern rebels, under the aegis of Algeria.
The Malian transitional authorities have recently been very irritated by the stays in Algiers of representatives of these armed rebel groups or even of the Malian imam Mahmoud Dicko, who has become a figure in the opposition to the colonels who took power in Bamako.
“
Algeria is trying to reconnect with Mali
,” continues the same researcher, “
so it is not an act of hostility, but it is not trivial: it is halfway.
»
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