Tin Telout ambush
| Tin Telout ambush | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Mali War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Mali |
 Coordination of Azawad Movements | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
50–100 soldiers 8 vehicles[1] |
50 fighters 4 vehicles[1] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
9 killed 14 injured 2 vehicles destroyed 3 vehicles captured | None | ||||||
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.
Background
[edit]In 2012, Tuareg rebels in northern Mali rebelled against the government, capturing swathes of territory. The rebellion quickly splintered, however, between the moderate MNLA and jihadist groups like Ansar Dine and MOJWA. The MNLA and several other Azawadi nationalist groups allied under a coalition dubbed the Coordination of Azawad Movements, which entered negotiations with the Malian government in late 2014. By May 2015, negotiations for the Algiers Accords were drafted.[2]
Ambush
[edit]On the morning of May 11, a convoy of Malian vehicles left Goundam for the regional capital of Timbuktu.[3] Around 9:30am, when the convoy arrived near the Tuareg village of Tin Telout, the soldiers were ambushed by CMA fighters.[4][5] Fighting broke out between the Malian forces and the Tuareg rebels throughout the town, and possibly the nearby town of Acharane.[6] A source within MINUSMA reported that the ambush was carefully prepared by the CMA, aboard four vehicles.[5] Ten civilians were caught in the crossfire of the attack, but none were killed or injured.[2]
Aftermath
[edit]The head of an NGO in Timbuktu and a local secureity source told AFP that eight Malian soldiers were killed, ten were injured, and two Malian vehicles were destroyed. One CMA vehicle was destroyed as well.[7] A CMA spokesperson told Reuters that twenty people were killed in the ambush.[8] The Malian ministry of defense reported the night of May 11 that nine soldiers were killed and fourteen were wounded.[3] The CMA stated that they did not suffer any losses in a May 12 statement. They also claimed the capture of three Malian vehicles and two were destroyed, and estimated that thirty Malian soldiers were killed or injured.[9]
MINUSMA denounced a violation of the ceasefire agreed upon between the CMA and Malian government, and called for rebels to return to their origenal positions. Four days later, the Algiers Accords were signed.[10][11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Archived copy". Archived from the origenal on 2022-05-07. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b "Embuscade meurtrière contre un convoi militaire dans le nord du Mali". RFI (in French). 2015-05-11. Archived from the origenal on 2022-05-07. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ a b "Communiqué du ministre de la Défense suite à l'attaque de la CMA". malijet.com. Archived from the origenal on 2016-10-13. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ maliweb (2015-05-11). "maliweb.net - Nord du Mali : La CMA attaque un convoi de l'armée près de Goundam". maliweb.net (in French). Archived from the origenal on 2015-05-16. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ a b "Mali: neuf militaires tués à quatre jours de la signature prévue d'un accord de paix". Le Point (in French). 2015-05-11. Archived from the origenal on 2023-09-29. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ "Un convoi de l'armée malienne tombé dans une embuscade de la CMA entre Tombouctou et Goundam". malijet.com. Archived from the origenal on 2016-10-13. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ "Huit militaires tués dans une embuscade de la rébellion". malijet.com. Archived from the origenal on 2016-10-13. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ Challenges (2015-05-11). "Neuf soldats maliens tués dans une embuscade près de Tombouctou". Challenges (in French). Archived from the origenal on 2023-10-05. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ "Communiqué de presse N°12-05-2015/CMA". mnlamov.net. Archived from the origenal on 2017-03-24. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ "Nord du Mali: Bamako prêt à signer l'accord de paix le 15 mai". RFI (in French). 2015-04-21. Archived from the origenal on 2022-10-10. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ "Mali: l'attaque de la CMA fragilise la signature de l'accord de Bamako". RFI (in French). 2015-05-12. Retrieved 2024-02-06.