Mali:February2017ViolenceRelatedtoAQIM,Ansaral-Din,MUJWA,andOther

SecurityIncidents

March12,2017ByRidaLyammouri

Disclaimer: This report was compiled from open-source documents, social media, news reports, and local participants. 2017 Sahel MeMo LLC All Rights Reserved.

February2017byNumbersandAnalysisAnalysisandComments•  SahelMeMorecordedinFebruary2017atleast20incidentsrelated[oratleastsuspectedtobe]toviolentextremist

organizaPonsoperaPnginMali.ThisincludesfailedaTemptsbyVEOs,suchaswhenimprovisedexplosivedevices(IEDs)beendiscoveredanddismantled.

•  SahelMeMorecorded11casualPesand18woundedamongMaliansecurityforceswhile8peacekeepersofMINUSMAinjured.

•  InFebruary2017only2aTackswereofficiallyclaimedbyAnsaral-DinandAQIM.•  NigerwitnessedatleastonedeadlyaTackonitsforcesinTillabéryRegionontheborderswithMali.Atleast15

soldierskilledand18injured.ThisforcedNigeriengovernmenttodeclarestateofemergencyinmostofTahouaandTillabéryRegions.BarkhanealsoestablishedaremotepostinTillebéryRegion.

•  SecuritysituaPoninBurkinaFasoontheborderswithMalihasdegraded.MilitantgroupidenPfiedasAnsarulIslamemergedintheareawhileliTleisknownthusfaraboutthegroupanditscapabiliPes.HoweverlocalofficialsandschoolteachershavebeenthreatenedbyunidenPfiedindividualsatSoumnearborderswithMali.

•  ColombiannunkidnappedbyunknowngunmenatKarangasso,SikassoRegion.HostageidenPfiedasGloriaArgoPandasofMarch7thnogroupclaimedresponsibility.Thisbringstotalof8hostagesbeingtakenandheldbyjihadistgroupsorotherunknowngroupsinMaliandneighboringcountriesintheSahel.

•  Reportedly,membersfromFulaniandBambaracommuniPesengagedinviolentclashesinKé-Macina,MopPRegion.Atleast20peoplekilled.

•  ArmedbanditryconPnuestobethreattociviliansandpeacekeepingoperaPonsincentralandnorthernMali.

•  AQIM:Al-QaedaintheIslamicMaghreb•  MUJWA:TheMovementforUnityandJihadinWestAfrica•  MINUSMA:UnitedNaPonsMulPdimensionalIntegratedStabilizaPonMissioninMali•  CMA:CoordinaPonfortheMovementofAzawad•  GATIA:Self-DefenseImghadTuaregGroupandAllies•  HCUA:HighCouncilfortheUnityofAzwad(HCUA)

Attacks Related to Violent Extremist Organizations: AQIM, Ansar al-Din, and MUJWA in Mali

4FEB17:UnknowngunmenaTackedMalianArmycheckpointsouthofMénakatowardAndéramboukane.4Maliansoldierskilledand10injured.

2FEB17:GunmenaTackedMaliangendarmerieinDiandiouri,MopPRegion.Ansaral-Dinclaimedresponsibility.(right:Ansaral-Dinstatement.

5FEB17:MINUSMAvehicleescorPnglogisPcalconvoy30kmfromTessalittowardAguelhoc,KidalRegion.4peacekeepersinjured.

7FEB17:ColombiannunkidnappedbyunknowngunmenatKarangasso,SikassoRegion.HostageidenPfiedasGloriaArgoPandasofMarch7thnogroupclaimedresponsibility.Thisbringstotalof8hostagesbeingtakenandheldbyjihadistgroupsorotherunknowngroupsinMaliandneighboringcountriesintheSahel.

4FEB17:UnknowngunmenaTackedMaliansecuritycheckpointatMadina-Coura,5kmfromMopP,MopPRegion.4gendarmeskilled.

ViewinsideMénaka.Source:SahelMeMoLLC

ViewinsideMénaka.Source:SahelMeMoLLC

Attacks Related to Violent Extremist Organizations: AQIM, Ansar al-Din, and MUJWA in Mali

8FEB17:MalianArmyvehiclestruckanIEDbetweenTimbuktuandGoundam,TimbuktuRegion.1soldierkilledand4injured,andAQIMclaimedresponsibility.(right:AQIMstatement)

8FEB17:BarkhaneforcesdiscoveredanddismantledanIEDinKidal,KidalRegion.TheIEDwasconnectedtounknownnumberofmortars.

8FEB17:MalianArmydiscoveredandneutralizedanIEDnorthofGao.

8FEB17:MINUSMAforcesdiscoveredanddismantledanIEDnearAnsongo,GaoRegion.

10FEB17:UnknowngunmenaTackedandfiredatMalianNaPonalGuardcampinAnsongo.1guarddiedon17FEBafersufferingsevereinjuriesduringtheaTack.

10FEB17:UnknowngunmenaTackedandburned4logisPcalMINUSMAtrucksbetweenHomboriandBoni,MopPRegion.

11FEB17:AllegedlyMalianArmykilled4civiliansandarrested10duringcounterterrorismoperaPoninDialloubé,MopPRegion.

ViewinsideAnsongo.Source:SahelMeMoLLC

Attacks Related to Violent Extremist Organizations: AQIM, Ansar al-Din, and MUJWA in Mali

19FEB17:CiviliantransportaPonbusstruckanIEDbetweenGossiandHombori.1passengerkilledand14injured.

16FEB17:Maliansecurityforcesarrested4suspectedjihadistsinSegouRegion.Armsandmotorcyclesalsoseized.

14FEB17:BarkhaneforcesdiscoveredanddismantledanIEDinKidal,KidalRegion.Barkhanealsoneutralized15mortars.

15FEB17:MalianArmyvehiclestruckanIEDbetweenBoniandHombori(20kmfromHombori).1Maliansoldierkilledand4injured.

12FEB17:MalianforcesclaimedtohavedismantledajihadistcellinDialloubé,MopPRegion,and24suspectswerearrested.However,thesuspectswerereleasedon26FEB17aferandarenotbelievedtobemembersofajihadistgroupasMalianforcesiniPallyclaimed.MalianArmyconducted48hrscounterterrorismoperaPoninthearea.

18FEB17:NigeriensecurityforcesseizedarmsandammuniPonatAbalak,Nigercheckpoint.ArmsbelongtoindividualsreturningfromLibya.

MortarsandIEDdiscoveredanddestroyedbyBarkhaneinKidal.Source:defense.gouv.fr

19FEB17:Allegedly,unknowngunmenabducted2individualsunderunclearcircumstancesatDialloubé,MopPRegion.

Attacks Related to Violent Extremist Organizations: AQIM, Ansar al-Din, and MUJWA in Mali

26FEB17:BarkhaneforcesannounceddeploymentmoreofitstroopstoTillabéryRegion,NigerontheborderswithMali.ThiscomesinresponsetoincreasedaTacksagainstNigerienforcesbyunknowngunmen,althoughseveralmediaoutletsclaimitwasajihadistaTacklikelybyAl-MurabitunofAdnaneAbuWalidal-Sahraouithatpledgedallegiancetoso-calledIslamicStateinMay2015.

23FEB17:BarkhaneforcesclashedwithsmallgroupthatwasidenPfiedas“terroristgroup”atTinAfaghout(20kmwestofBoughessa),KidalRegion.2militantsreportedlykilledand3arrested,2lancerocketsand4Kalashnikovsseized.HoweverBarkhaneforcesareaccusedofengagingwithminors.Barkhaneinsistedthatalthoughthe2militantsmightbeminors,theyweretheonesthatfiredfirstandFrenchforceshadtoretaliate.

22FEB17:UnknowngunmenaTackedNigerienforcespatrolconvoyatTilwa.15Nigeriensoldierskilledand19injured,4vehiclesdestroyedand7seizedbymilitants.ReportssaidAdnanAbuWalidal-SahraouiclaimedresponsibilityoftheaTack,howeverotherreportsdeniedtheclaimandthegroupneverreleasedofficialstatementtoclaimit.

23FEB17:Senegalsecurityforcesarrested2MaliansinDakarsuspectedtohaveparPcipatedinplanningtheGrandBassam,Coted’IvoireaTack.

19FEB17:MINUSMAvehiclestruckanIED50kmsouthofAguelhoc,KidalRegion.4peacekeepersinjured.

27FEB17:Malian,Mauritanian,andBarkhaneforcesseizedarmsandammuniPonatWagadouforestontheborderswithMauritania.Wagadouforesthavebeenahideoutandafall-backtoAQIM’sbrigadeal-FurqanandlikelyconPnuestobe.Also,mulPpleaTacksagainstMalianArmyinNampalaandDiabaly,CentralMali,arebelievedtobeplannedinthesamearea.

26-27FEB17:BarkhaneforcesarrestedanunknownsuspectinKidal.

Attacks Related to Violent Extremist Organizations: AQIM, Ansar al-Din, and MUJWA in Mali

27FEB17:UnknowngunmencarriedmulPpleaTacksondifferentpolicestaPonsinSoumProvince.LocaPonsareBaraboulé,Tongomayel,andDiguel.1civilianinjuredaccordingtoMinistryofSecurityandnogroupclaimedresponsibility.InTongomayelmilitantsseized2motorcyclesandburned16otherswhileseongthepolicestaPononfireandwriPngAnsarulIslaminArabic,claimedMohamedDah,ahigh-rankedpoliceofficerintheregion.InBaraboulé,militantsseized2motorcyclesandburned2others,anddamagedthepolicestaPonwithgunfire.InDiguel,computersweretakenandprefecture’sdoorsweredamaged.

27FEB17:BarkhaneforcesdestroyedexplosivesdiscoveredbylocalsinMénaka.ReportedlyexplosivesweretobeusedinaplannedaTack.

AllegedAnsaral-DinMacinabrigadesuspectsarrestedandarmsseized12FEB.Source:Facebook

MalianArmyvehicledestroyedbyIEDbetweenGoundamandTimbuktuon08FEB.Source:Facebook.

4FEB17:GunmenaTackedandseized2trucksbelongingtotheFrenchconstrucPoncompanySATOMatKassouminchargeofrepairingNiono-Timbukturoad.

2FEB17:Malianforcesseizedmini-bustransporPng18underagechildrenbetween16and17yearsoldatSikassoontheborderswithBurkinaFaso.AllegedlychildrenidenPfiedasTalibéandbelongtounidenPfiedKuranicschools.

Armed Banditry and Clashes Between non-Jihadist Armed Groups

09FEB17:UnidenPfiedgunmenaTackedmobileunitofcentredesantéderéférence(CSREF)30kmfromcityofGao.Vehicleandmedicalequipmentseizedbygunmen.TeammembersabandonedreturnedtoGaounharmed.

9FEB17:UnknowngunmenopenedfireontwoDaoussahakTuaregnearMénaka.1killed.

11-12FEB17:GunmenfiredatayoungmenandseizedhismotorcycleatKaP,Kayes,Region.1civiliankilled

11-12FEB17:GunmenaTackedandinjuredawoman[civilian[duringarmedrobberyatKaP,Kayes,Region.

11FEB17:UnknowngunmenopenedfireontwowaterandforestsagentsinMopPRegion,betweenTimissaandDjenné.1agentinjured.

15FEB17:FivearmedbanditsaTacked17merchantsatFassou-debé,nearDiéma,ontheborderswithMauritania.Armedbanditsseizedmorethan8,000USDlivestockvalue.

13FEB17:TwoarmedbanditsaTackedandseizedrentalvehiclefromciviliansatHamakouladji,nearGao,GaoRegion.Armedbanditsalsorobbedpassengersfromtheirbelongings.

21FEB17:UnknowngunmenseizedvehicleinHama-BangoubelongingtoTimbuktuhospital.

Armed Banditry, Inter-community Violence, and Clashes Between non-Jihadist Armed Groups

22FEB17:GunmenaTackedandrobbedtravelinglocalbusinessmanonHombori–Bonitransitroute.Cashand4x4vehicleseizedbyarmedbandits.

23FEB17:UnknowngunmenaTackedandrobbedlocalmerchanttravelingtoSimbymarket,35kmofHombori.Banditsseized4x4vehicleandimportantsumofmoney.

10-12FEB17:Reportedly,membersfromFulaniandBambaracommuniPesengagedinviolentclashesinKé-Macina,MopPRegion,CentralMali.Atleast20peoplekilled.AllegedlythekillingofaBambaramerchantidenPfiedasCheickTraoreonFebruary11thtriggeredtheviolence,howeverthisremainsdifficulttoconfirm.FulanisintheareaaremainlylivestockherderswerethefirsttobeaccusedofthekillingbyBambaraswhoaremostlyfarmers.Inresponse,BambarasreportedlycarriedaTacksthefollowingdayaroundKé-Macina,Niono,andDiawaribougou.InaddiPontotradiPonalconflictsbetweenFulanisandBambaras,since2015FulanishavebeenrepeatedlyperceivedtobeassociatedwiththeemergenceofAnsaral-DinMacinabrigade,amilitantgroupthatemergedinCentralMalisinceJanuary2015.

CulRvatedsmallfarmatBamada,MopRRegion.Source:SahelMeMoLLC

OromodivillagenearTénenkou,MopRRegion.Source:SahelMeMoLLC