The northern Tuareg rebels based in Mali have on Sunday, October 1st, confirmed that they had yet again, taken over another military base from the Malian army following the battle in the north of the country.
The military base will be the fourth one seized over a series of attacks the rebel alliance, tagged the Coordination of Azawad Movements, —CMA, has carried out since August following the departure of the U.N. peacekeeping mission that has helped to maintain the fragile calm in the country for years.
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the CMA had informed Reuters on Sunday that they had taken over the Bamba military base in the Gao region. He had however, not given further details.
Meanwhile, the Malian army through a post they shared on X had revealed that intense fighting against the terrorists was ongoing at the Bamba locality. Adding that more details will follow.
The CMA attack on Bamba, after the attacks on the military bases in Lere, Dioura and Bourem in the past weeks have signaled increasing clashes as both sides are looking to control territory both in the desert centre and north of the West African country, as the U.N. peacekeepers withdraw their forces.
The Malian army has come under attacks from insurgents connected to terrorist groups: al Qaeda and Islamic State.
The CMA brokered a peace deal with the past administration and pro-government militia in 2015. But tensions have risen since the military reinforced their power in two coups in 2020 and 2021, in collaboration with the Russian military contractor Wagner Group. They thereafter, kicked out the French forces and U.N. peacekeepers.
