Mali accuses Algeria of fuelling Sahel insecurity by supporting Tuareg rebels
As Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger prepare to withdraw from the West African bloc Ecowas, reports show an increase in instability in the region – partly due to a lack of coordination in the fight against jihadism – with Mali now accusing Algeria of supporting Tuareg rebel groups.
Mali's ruling military junta this week accused its neighbour Algeria of "interference" and supporting "terrorist groups", according to a government statement.
The Malian Foreign Ministry said it had learned through the press of remarks made by Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf "once again commenting on Mali’s strategy for combatting terrorism".
The statement did not reproduce the comments attributed to Attaf, but accused Algerian authorities of bias in favour of the Tuareg rebels in the north of Mali.
The Tuareg people are among the indigenous Berber groups populating the Sahara, in the south of Algeria and the north of Mali and Niger. They took up arms in 2012, following previous rebellions, seeking independence or autonomy for the region, which they call Azawad.
Ecowas exit
The ministry accused Algeria of "proximity and complicity with terrorist groups that destabilise Mali and to whom it has offered shelter and support".
It also strongly condemned what it calls "this new interference by Algeria in Mali’s internal affairs" and demanded that Algiers "stop using Mali as a tool for its international positioning".
In late September 2024, the Malian representative at the United Nations accused Algerian diplomats of harbouring terrorists.
(with AFP)
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