Battle of Kidal (2023)

Last updated
Battle of Kidal (2023)
Part of Mali War
DateNovember 10–14, 2023
Location
Kidal and Oued Alkit, Kidal Region, Mali
Result Russo-Malian victory
Belligerents
Flag of Mali.svg Mali
Flag of Russia.svg Wagner Group

CSP-PSD

Commanders and leaders
El Hadj Ag Gamou Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown
14+ civilians killed, 30+ injured

The battle of Kidal took place between November 10 and 14, 2023, during the Kidal offensive in renewed conflict between the CSP-PSD and the Malian Armed Forces and allied Wagner Group mercenaries during the Mali War. The city of Kidal had been under rebel control since 2014, and the 2015 Algiers Agreement enacted a ceasefire and Kidal Region subsequently was de facto controlled by rebel groups. When Malian and Wagner forces captured the city on November 14, it marked the first time in nine years that all Malian regional capitals were fully under Malian government control.

Contents

Background

During the initial Tuareg rebellion of 2012 that began the Mali War, Kidal was a flashpoint of conflict between the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), the Malian government, and jihadist groups. The first seizure of the city was in March 2012 by Ansar Dine and AQIM jihadists. [1] The jihadists abandoned the city in January 2013 in the wake of Operation Serval, and was captured by the MNLA. [2] Malian and French forces attempted to capture the town in May 2014, but were repelled by the MNLA and allied Arab Movement of Azawad (MAA) and High Council for the Unity of Azawad (HCUA) fighters, who created the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) coalition. [3] Shortly afterward, the Algiers Agreement was signed in 2015 and established a ceasefire between the CMA, Malian government, and the pro-government Platform coalition, allowing the CMA to control Kidal. [4] In 2016, GATIA, a member militia of Platform, attempted to establish itself in Kidal but was chased out by the CMA. [5]

At the start of 2023, tensions had intensified between the Malian junta that took power in 2021 and the allied Wagner Group mercenaries against the Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security, and Development (CSP-PSD), a coalition between the CMA and Platform. Malian and Wagner forces attacked the town of Ber in August 2023, the first major clashes between the two groups since the signing of the Algiers Accords in 2015. [6] CSP-PSD spokesmen denounced the attack, and stated that retaliation would occur. The CSP-PSD then declared war on the Malian junta, and attacked Malian forces in Bourem and Léré. [7]

Prelude

On the night of October 2, 2023 a column of 800 Malian and Russian forces launched an offensive towards Kidal. They captured Anefis on October 7, and Malian officials announced their intent to recapture the MINUSMA camps in Tessalit, Aguelhok, and Kidal that same day. [8] MINUSMA peacekeepers hurriedly evacuated the camp in Kidal by October 31, and the CSP-PSD seized control not long afterward. [9] Many residents of Kidal left the city expecting clashes. [10]

The MINUSMA camp was targeted by Malian Bayraktar TB2 drones on the night between November 3 and 4. No casualties were reported. [11] [12] The camp was again targeted by drone strikes on November 7, with one bomb hitting the camp and two hitting outside of it. One bomb hit a school located near the MINUSMA camp, killing fourteen civilians including eight children and injuring over thirty others. [12] Medical sources speaking to RFI stated ten people were killed including several children, a teacher, a member of the Kidal Interim Authority, a business manager, and a community leader. [13]

Between November 9 and 10, new drone strikes targeted Kidal, again without any reported casualties. [14]

Battle

On November 10, Malian and Wagner forces stationed in Anefis moved towards Kidal. That same day, CSP-PSD fighters cut phone lines to Kidal, preventing saboteurs communicating rebel positions to the Malian army. [14] The next day, fighting broke out in the Alkit Valley twenty kilometers from Kidal between the rebels and the Russo-Malian convoy. The clashes lasted for two hours until they ceased by nighttime. [15] In the first spate of clashes, a Malian L-39 Albatros crashed by accident. [16] Malian officials claimed that night to have broken the rebels' defenses, while the rebels claimed to have repulsed the Russo-Malian attack and inflicted significant losses. [17] [14]

Clashes resumed in the Alkit Valley on November 12. Both sides again claimed to have the advantage over the other, although RFI journalists stated that the frontlines had not changed. [18] The Malian Army flanked the rebels from the south on November 13, reported that they arrived fifteen kilometers from Kidal and claimed to have foiled a series of small ambushes and attacks along the way. [18] Ten CSP-PSD vehicles were destroyed in these engagements. [16]

The Malian Army seized control of Kidal on November 14. [19] A night attack by Wagner special forces was decisive in the Malian victory. CSP-PSD rebels fled north towards the towns of Abeïbara and Aguelhok. [20] In a statement, the CSP-PSD confirmed their withdrawal from the city, but stated they would keep fighting against the Russo-Malian forces. [21] Malian president Assimi Goïta stated "Today, our armed and security forces have seized Kidal. Our mission is not complete. I recall that it consists of recovering and securing the integrity of the territory, without any exclusion, in accordance with the resolutions of the Security Council." [21] No losses were reported by either side on November 14. [10]

Aftermath

The Wagner Group, which for years had denied its existence in Africa and had remained discreet, openly displayed its presence in Kidal after its capture. [22] [23] Wagner forces raised their flag over the historic Kidal Fort on November 22, but the flag was replaced by the Malian flag on November 26. [24] On November 22, GATIA founder and longtime Malian government ally El Hadj Ag Gamou was installed as governor of Kidal Region. [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coordination of Azawad Movements</span> Mali resistance coalition

The Coordination of Azawad Movements is a large coalition of Tuareg independentist and Arab nationalist groups that formed in Mali during the Northern Mali conflict in 2014.

The Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad is a coalition of political and military movements in northern Mali that was formed on May 6, 2021, as an alliance of the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) and Platform. In September 2023, Platform left the CSP-PSD due to the CMA's war with the Malian government. In April 2024, the CSP-DPA was renamed from the Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security, and Development.

Hassan Ag Fagaga, born around 1959 or 1966, in Kidal, Mali, was a Malian soldier and a Tuareg rebel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Council for the Unity of Azawad</span>

The High Council for the Unity of Azawad (HCUA) (French: Haut conseil pour l'unité de l'Azawad) is a Tuareg political movement formed on May 2, 2013, during the Mali War. The movement was initially called the High Council of Azawad (HCA) (French: Haut conseil de l'Azawad) before changing its name on May 19, 2013.

On July 26, 2017, clashes broke out between the pro-government GATIA Imghad Tuareg militia and anti-government Idnane Tuareg rebels from the Coordination of Azawad Movements.

The battle of Kidal took place between July 21 and 22, 2016 between GATIA, a pro-government militia consisting of Imghad Tuaregs, against the Coordination of Azawad Movements, consisting of Ifoghas Tuaregs.

The Algiers Accords, officially referred to as the Accord for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, is a 2015 agreement to end the Mali War. The agreement was signed on May 15 and June 20, 2015, in Bamako, following negotiations in Algiers between the Republic of Mali and Coordination of Azawad Movements.

The Platform of the Movements of 14 June 2014 in Algiers, also called the Platform of Self-Defense Movements and colloquially known as Platform, is an alliance of pro-government armed groups during the Mali War formed during peace negotiations on June 14, 2014, in Algiers. Platform joined the Coordination of Azawad Movements in the Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security, and Development (CSP-PSD) in May 2021, then withdrew in September 2023.

On August 17, 2015, clashes broke out between pro-government GATIA militants and rebels from the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) in the town of Anefis and surrounding areas. The dispute was settled in September.

On May 11, 2015, a Malian convoy was ambushed by Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) fighters in Tin Telout, Tombouctou Region, Mali. The ambush was the last conflict between the Malian government and CMA before the signing of the Algiers Accords.

On July 11, 2014, clashes broke out between pro-government militias led by GATIA and rebel militias led by the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) in Anefif, Mali. The battle was the first major confrontation between pro-government militias and rebel groups since the start of the Mali War in 2012.

On 14 December 2013, Katibat Salahadin militants launched a suicide car bomb attack on Senegalese peacekeepers and Malian soldiers in front of the Malian Solidarity Bank, located in the city of Kidal. Residents of Kidal stated that the attack was one of the most destructive since the beginning of the Mali War.

On November 8, 2013, clashes broke out between Malian forces and the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) in Amazragane, Ménaka Region, Mali.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Ber (2023)</span>

The battle of Ber took place between August 11 and 12, 2023, between the Malian Armed Forces and the Wagner Group against fighters of the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) and Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM). The battle was the first major confrontation between the CMA and Malian forces since the signing of the Algiers Accords, and led to the breakdown of the accords by late 2023.

The Battle of Bourem occurred on September 12, 2023, when the Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security, and Development (CSP-PSD) attacked the Malian Armed Forces and their Wagner Group allies in and around the small town of Bourem. The battle was the first major attack by the CSP-PSD on Malian forces since the Battle of Ber in August 2023.

On September 17, 2023, clashes broke out between the CSP-PSD and the Malian junta in Léré, Mali.

On September 28, 2023, rebels from the CSP-PSD attacked Malian bases in Dioura, Mali.

On October 1, 2023, rebels from the CSP-PSD attacked Malian forces in Bamba, Gao Region, Mali.

The Kidal offensive was an offensive by the Malian government and Wagner Group mercenaries against the rebel coalition Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security, and Development (CSP-PSD) with the aim of capturing the rebel-held region of Kidal. The offensive was part of a renewed conflict between the Malian junta that took power in 2021 and former Tuareg rebel groups that had signed the Algiers Agreement in 2015, creating a ceasefire and de facto rebel control over the region. The offensive was also an attempt by Malian forces to seize control over MINUSMA camps in Kidal Region after the Malian junta had ordered the mission to leave the country by the end of 2023.

Fahad Ag Almahmoud is an Imghad Tuareg militant who served as the secretary-general of GATIA from its formation in 2014 until 2023, when he split from the group and formed his own faction of GATIA.

References

  1. ↑ "Mali: la ville de Kidal aux mains des rebelles, la junte appelle à l'aide". ladepeche.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  2. ↑ "Mali : les Touaregs laïques disent avoir repris Kidal". Le Figaro (in French). 2013-01-28. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  3. ↑ "Mali: Kidal aux mains des rebelles, appel présidentiel au cessez-le-feu". ladepeche.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  4. ↑ "L'accord de paix pour le nord du Mali officiellement ratifié". RFI (in French). 2015-06-20. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  5. ↑ "Mali: après les combats, Kidal est toujours sous tension". RFI (in French). 2016-07-24. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  6. ↑ Agency, Ecofin. "Mali: Azawad Salvation Movement exits CSP-PSD, backs Transitional Government". Ecofin Agency. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  7. ↑ "Mali: la Coordination des mouvements de l'Azawad se dit "en temps de guerre" avec la junte". RFI (in French). 2023-09-11. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  8. ↑ "Au Mali, Assimi Goïta joue gros à Kidal - Jeune Afrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  9. ↑ "Mali: la mission de l'ONU a entamé son retrait définitif de Kidal". RFI (in French). 2023-10-31. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  10. 1 2 "Au Mali, Kidal, bastion de la rébellion, reconquis par l'armée". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2023-11-14. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  11. ↑ "Mali: des frappes de drones à Kidal et des renforts de Wagner à Tombouctou et Gao". RFI (in French). 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  12. 1 2 "Mali: au moins une dizaine de morts, dont des enfants, dans des frappes de drone de l'armée à Kidal". RFI (in French). 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  13. ↑ "Mali: tué par un drone à Kidal, Moussa "aimait son métier d'enseignant et n'était pas terroriste"". RFI (in French). 2023-11-09. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  14. 1 2 3 "Mali: face aux "mouvements stratégiques" de l'armée, Kidal sur le qui-vive". RFI (in French). 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  15. ↑ "Mali: l'armée se rapproche de Kidal, des combats éclatent à quelques kilomètres de la ville". RFI (in French). 2023-11-11. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  16. 1 2 FRANCE 24 (2023-11-13). Mali : la bataille pour Kidal se poursuit, l'armée malienne et les forces de Wagner se rapprochent . Retrieved 2024-06-01– via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ↑ "Au Mali, l'armée se rapproche de Kidal - Jeune Afrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  18. 1 2 "Au Mali, l'offensive de l'armée vers Kidal a repris ce 13 novembre". RFI (in French). 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  19. ↑ "Mali : l'armée dit avoir "pris position" dans Kidal, bastion de la rébellion touareg". Le Figaro (in French). 2023-11-14. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  20. ↑ "Mali: l'armée prend Kidal, fief des rebelles du Cadre stratégique permanent". RFI (in French). 2023-11-14. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  21. 1 2 Macé, Célian. "Dans le nord du Mali, l'armée reprend pied à Kidal". Libération (in French). Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  22. ↑ ""C'est un message aux Occidentaux" : fait nouveau, les mercenaires de Wagner s'affichent après la prise de Kidal". Les Observateurs - France 24 (in French). 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  23. ↑ Maillard, Matteo. "Au Mali, Wagner trahi par ses écussons". Libération (in French). Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  24. ↑ "Mali: un drapeau de Wagner hissé sur le fort de Kidal". RFI (in French). 2023-11-22. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  25. ↑ "Mali: le général El Hadj Ag Gamou nommé gouverneur de Kidal". RFI (in French). 2023-11-22. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
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