France confirmed on Friday, November 13, that it had “neutralized” in Mali – including killing – Ba Ag Moussa, a key al-Qaeda cadre in the Islamic Maghreb, whose name has been linked in recent years to numerous attacks in the region.
The rumor had swelled for three days on social networks and in the international press. The French army minister, Florence Parly, confirmed in a press release on Friday the death of Ba Ag Moussa in Mali, in the Ménaka region, zone of the three borders between Mali-Burkina and Niger.
The French army, the statement said, “neutralized” Ba Ag Moussa, described as the “military leader” of the Islamic and Muslim Support Group (GSIM). The operation, led by the Barkhane force, goes back to Tuesday 10 November at the end of the day, the press release also specifies.
An operation prepared for a long time
It was at dusk, this Tuesday 10 November, that the assault took place, 140 kilometers north of Ménaka. The pick-up where Ba Ag Moussa was sitting was carefully observed by at least two drones. At around 6pm, four helicopters, two maneuvers and two attack helicopters from the Barkhane force first tried to stop the vehicle. Warning shots that failed, as the five passengers in the pickup, equipped with machine guns and light weapons, responded strongly.
In the subsequent protocols, the French army personnel, the maneuvering helicopters deposited about fifteen commands on the ground, announce a fleeting act, it is indicated, because in less than a quarter all passengers in the vehicle were neutralized. No damage on the French side. The Barkhane Force soldiers then combed through the 4X4 looking for means of communication that could be used. As for the remains, everything was done in accordance with international humanitarian law, the staff insists without specifying whether they were buried there.
If Fama (Malia’s armed forces) was not associated with the operation, they would have been informed. A measure that is not an option, the staff insists and ensures that it was prepared for a long time in order to target GISM’s managers.
Florence Parly praised an operation involving “significant intelligence services as well as a listening device consisting of helicopters and ground forces” and a “success that deprives Iyad Ag Ghalide, one of his main assistants”.
The French armed forces neutralized a senior al-Qaeda cadre on November 10 in Mali. I congratulate our soldiers on this success that deprives Iyad Ag Ghali of one of his main assistants. Their commitment, courage and selflessness make us strong and proud. pic.twitter.com/dx6JRgw3HJ
Florence Parly (@florence_parly) November 13, 2020
His name has been associated in recent years with many attacks on Malian and international forces. He was therefore considered one of the leading jihadist leaders in Mali, according to the press release, which specifies that he was especially responsible for new recruits.
Figure of Tuareg’s struggle for independence
Before becoming one of GSIM’s military leaders, the support group for Islam and Muslims, Ba Ag Moussa, also known as Ba Moussa Diarra, or “Abou charia”, was an officer in the Malian army, then a figure in Tuareg’s independence struggle.
Former Colonel Fama, he left the national army for the first time to join the Tuareg uprising in 2006 where he could rub shoulders with Iyad Ag Ghali, future founder of Ansar Dine, then GSIM. Or Seidane Ag Find, which will also be one of the terrorist organization’s main cadres.
Restored in the Malian army, Ba Ag abandoned Moussa again in 2012: this time to join Ansar Dine’s jihadists. At that time, his name was mentioned in the Aguelhoc massacre, but also in the battles against Ménaka, Tessalit or Kidal. Recently, since 2016, attacks on several Malian military camps in the center of the country, totaling several dozen victims, have been attributed to him. Without knowing exactly for each of them whether he was involved or not.
In recent days, in addition to the pictures of his charred vehicles, many messages of condolences or even poems in his honor have been circulating on social networks. Because, as one researcher who specializes in the Kidal region reminds us, Ba Ag Moussa is perceived by many Malian Tuaregs as a rebel in the noble sense of the term, the hero of the Tuareg cause. For others, on the contrary, and especially in Bamako, man is hated and perceived as a traitor and a murderer.
Baba Dakono, Executive Secretary of the OCGS, Citizen Observatory on Governance and Security in Mali on Bamoussa Diarra’s death
.
