Latest news with #PolicyCenterfortheNewSouth
Arabian Post
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Arabian Post
France Presses Bamako to Free Embassy Staffer
French authorities have initiated dialogue with Mali to secure the immediate release of a French national working at the embassy in Bamako, whose detention Bamako's military regime justifies with allegations of involvement in a destabilisation plot. The French foreign ministry has dismissed these allegations as baseless, emphasising that the detained individual is entitled to protections under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. French officials argue that the embassy staffer's detention breaches longstanding diplomatic norms and demands swift clarification of the matter. Paris says discussions aim to address possible misunderstandings and to facilitate the immediate release of their national, whom they describe as fully accredited and immune under international law. Acknowledging the accusations, Mali's security minister, General Daoud Aly Mohammedine, stated that the embassy employee—named by Bamako as Yann Vezilier—was apprehended alongside two high-ranking generals and other military personnel. The government alleges they were part of a scheme orchestrated by foreign intelligence to disrupt state institutions. ADVERTISEMENT Observers cite the broader context of Mali's shifting alliances and internal tension. Since seizing power in successive coups in 2020 and 2021, the junta has expelled French forces and aligned with Russia for security support. This arrest follows the dissolution of political parties and a crackdown on dissent, intensifying concerns that authorities may be suppressing emerging challenges to their rule. Analysts view the charges as part of a broader pattern of intimidation. Rida Lyammouri of the Policy Center for the New South suggests that this episode resembles prior moves by the regime to neutralise criticism from military figures, journalists and civil society. Rather than signalling a legitimate coup threat, these detentions may aim to reinforce control. France's swift response underscores the seriousness with which it regards violations of diplomatic protections. Its insistence on the application of the Vienna Convention reflects both legal recourse and a diplomatic strategy to protect citizens abroad—even as relationships with Mali fray.
DW
4 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Mali says thwarted coup supported by 'foreign states' – DW – 08/15/2025
Mali's military junta arrested two generals and a French national and accused them of attempting to destabilize the transitional government. Mali's military leadership has said it thwarted a coup attempt and arrested two generals as well as a French national who they say is a suspected foreign agent, among others. Security Minister General Daoud Aly Mohammedine announced the arrest of a group of military officers and civilians in a statement read out on state television late Thursday evening. The statement also confirmed the detention of dozens of soldiers in recent days. Rumors of the arrests had circulated for several days in Mali. The group had support from abroad, Mohmammedine said, and had allegedly attempted to destabilize Mali. The security minister said the Frenchman was arrested on suspicion of "acting on behalf of the French intelligence service, which mobilized political leaders, civil society actors and military personnel" in Mali. Mali's junta, which came to power in back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, provided few other details about what this alleged coup entailed and the French national implicated in it. France, Mali's former colonial ruler, has yet to comment on the man's arrest, according to various news agencies. One of the arrested generals, Abass Dembele, is popular among Malian soldiers. A former governor of the central Mopti region, he was dismissed in May after demanding an investigation into allegations that the Malian army executed at least civilians during a military operation in the village of Diafarabe. The development comes amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent by Mali's military following a pro-democracy rally in May, the first since soldiers seized power nearly four years ago. Rida Lyammouri, an analyst at the Morocco-based Policy Center for the New South, told the Associated Press that Mali's military is aware of the discontent among the population and members of the military. "The military leaders are simply not willing to let those grievances build into something more, like a coup, and therefore these arrests seem more of a way to intimidate than a legitimate coup attempt," Lyammouri said. "It's a continuation of the repeated unjustified arrests and prosecution of anyone speaking against the current regime," he added. In July, military leader General Assimi Goita was granted a five-year presidential term, which is renewable indefinitely. This was despite the junta's earlier promises of a return to civilian rule by March 2024. The move followed the military's dissolution of political parties in May. Goita also withdrewn Mali from the regional grouping Ecowas over its demands that Mali restore democratic rule. In a separate incident, Mali's civilian former prime minister Choguel Maiga and a number of his former colleagues were taken into custody on Tuesday. The detentions are part of an investigation into claims of "misappropriation of public funds". Maiga was appointed prime minister in 2021 before being dismissed in late 2024 after criticizing the military government, something he continued to do after his dismissal. And earlier in August, another former prime minister, Moussa Mara, was arrested on charges of undermining the credibility of the state. Mara had previously posted on social media his "unwavering solidarity with prisoners of conscience" jailed by the military junta. Mali's junta, led by Goita, has turned away from Western partners, most notably France, to align itself politically and militarily with Russia in the name of national sovereignty.
LeMonde
24-07-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
Jihadists are intensifying drone attacks in the Sahel
In the Sahel, drone warfare has reached unprecedented levels. On July 14, the Policy Center for the New South, a Moroccan research institute, published a report that sheds light on the growing intensity of attacks with these devices that are being carried out by armed groups in the region − particularly by Nusrat al-Islam (JNIM), Al-Qaeda's Sahelian affiliate. The institute has recorded more than 30 confirmed drone attacks since September 2023, of which 82% (24 attacks) were concentrated between March and June 2025. These included the assault on the Malian military base in Boulikessi on June 1, when JNIM used drones to drop explosives and claimed to have killed more than 100 Malian soldiers. These devices, which had previously been limited to surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, have evolved into weapons capable of carrying out direct strikes. In September 2023, the report stated, JNIM conducted its first armed drone attack, "dropping two [improvised explosive devices] on Dan Na Ambassagou [a Dogon militia fighting jihadist groups] positions in Bandiagara," in the Mopti region in central Mali.
Arab News
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Algeria says it downed a drone near its border with Mali as tensions simmer between the 2 countries
BAMAKO, Mali: Algeria said Tuesday it shot down a military drone near the country's border with Mali in the first incident of its kind during growing tensions between the two countries governing a vast portion of the Sahara. The country's army said in a statement that the armed reconnaissance drone had entered Algerian airspace Monday near Tin Zaouatine, a border town and stronghold for Tuareg separatists opposed to Mali's government. Mali's army acknowledged that one of its drones had crashed in the area, but did not confirm whether it was shot down by Algeria. Rida Lyammouri, a Sahel expert at the Morocco-based Policy Center for the New South, said the shooting down of the drone — rather than issuing a warning — reflected simmering frustrations. It 'confirms the serious tensions between the countries and unwillingness and zero tolerance by Algeria to allow the use of its airspace and territory by Malian forces,' he said. The incident comes as tensions rise between Algeria and its southern neighbors, including Mali. Algeria once served as a key mediator during more than a decade of conflict between Mali's government and Tuareg rebels. But the two countries have grown apart since a military junta staged coups in 2020 and 2021, putting military personnel in charge of the country's key institutions. Algeria has denounced the direction that Mali's new government has taken and its expanded efforts to quash rebellion in historically volatile parts of northern Mali. Afraid of conflict spilling over the border, Algerian officials have denounced Mali's use of Russian mercenaries and armed drones near Tin Zaouatine, which is divided by the border separating the two countries. But failures to curb instability in northern Mali have led to the downfall of previous governments and Mali's Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maiga addressed the issue in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly last year, promising to respond swiftly to violence in the north. Algeria has one of Africa's largest militaries and has long considered itself a regional power but military leaders in neighboring Mali and Niger have distanced themselves as they've championed autonomy and sought new alliances, including with Russia. Algeria did not specify who the drone it intercepted belonged to. A spokesperson for Mali's army declined to comment when asked about Algeria's alleging that an armed drone had crossed its border, but said the crash didn't hurt anyone or cause property damage. Unverified video circulating on social media showed images of an Akinci drone manufactured by Baykar downed in Tin Zaouatine. Mali purchased at least two from the Turkish company last year and has used them against armed separatists as well as fighters linked to Al-Qaeda and the Daesh group.
Washington Post
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Algeria says it downed a drone near its border with Mali as tensions simmer between the 2 countries
BAMAKO, Mali — Algeria said Tuesday it shot down a military drone near the country's border with Mali in the first incident of its kind during growing tensions between the two countries governing a vast portion of the Sahara. The country's army said in a statement that the armed reconnaissance drone had entered Algerian airspace Monday near Tin Zaouatine, a border town and stronghold for Tuareg separatists opposed to Mali's government. Mali's army acknowledged that one of its drones had crashed in the area, but did not confirm whether it was shot down by Algeria. Rida Lyammouri, a Sahel expert at the Morocco-based Policy Center for the New South, said the shooting down of the drone — rather than issuing a warning — reflected simmering frustrations. It 'confirms the serious tensions between the countries and unwillingness and zero tolerance by Algeria to allow the use of its airspace and territory by Malian forces,' he said. The incident comes as tensions rise between Algeria and its southern neighbors, including Mali. Algeria once served as a key mediator during more than a decade of conflict between Mali's government and Tuareg rebels . But the two countries have grown apart since a military junta staged coups in 2020 and 2021, putting military personnel in charge of the country's key institutions. Algeria has denounced the direction that Mali's new government has taken and its expanded efforts to quash rebellion in historically volatile parts of northern Mali. Afraid of conflict spilling over the border, Algerian officials have denounced Mali's use of Russian mercenaries and armed drones near Tin Zaouatine, which is divided by the border separating the two countries. But failures to curb instability in northern Mali have led to the downfall of previous governments and Mali's Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maiga addressed the issue in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly last year, promising to respond swiftly to violence in the north. Algeria has one of Africa's largest militaries and has long considered itself a regional power but military leaders in neighboring Mali and Niger have distanced themselves as they've championed autonomy and sought new alliances, including with Russia. Algeria did not specify who the drone it intercepted belonged to. A spokesperson for Mali's army declined to comment when asked about Algeria's alleging that an armed drone had crossed its border, but said the crash didn't hurt anyone or cause property damage. Unverified video circulating on social media showed images of an Akinci drone manufactured by Baykar downed in Tin Zaouatine. Mali purchased at least two from the Turkish company last year and has used them against armed separatists as well as fighters linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. ___ Associated Press writer Sam Metz in Rabat, Morocco contributed to this report.
