In Mali, this initiative is in the city and region of Ménaka in the northern part of the country. An operation carried out jointly by the Malian army and the armed groups that have signed the peace agreement, called “Menaka without weapons”, was launched just over a month ago. This operation aims to reduce terrorist attacks, but also actions by bandits that are frequent in the area.
The Menaka region is a field of action for terrorists from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and especially by the Islamic State group in the Greater Sahara.
As for the road that connects the city of Ménaka with Ansongo on one side and to the Niger border on the other, it is the site of almost daily acts of banditry. have been complaining about insecurity for many years.
As part of the actions initiated by the governor of the region, Operation Menaka without weapons has united the Malian army and the armed groups that signed the 2015 peace agreement for just over a month.
“The interior of the city of Ménaka has first been handed over to the Malian security forces,” explains Moussa Ag Acharatoumane, who heads one of these groups, MSA, with David Baché of the African Service for RFI. They patrol day and night in collaboration with the Barkhane force and Minusma. As for us, the armed movements: first we platform, we finished a belt outside the city of Ménaka, so there is no road leading to Ménaka, which we do not control. Then our brothers from the CMA joined us ”. In short, “inside the city it is the Malian armed forces and their partners. And outside the city, it is the signed armed movements that control it. “
Since the end of September, about ten arrests have been made. The initiators of this operation ask the new transitional authorities to support their action to make it sustainable.
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