In northern Mali, Tuareg rebels say they took over a military camp and the town of Bourem. This comes after many weeks of fighting against the Mali national army and a group of Wagner fighters. This situation puts the 2015 peace agreement in jeopardy.
The Tuareg rebel group known as the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) took control of Bourem on Tuesday. Bourem is located between the historic cities of Gao and Timbuktu. This happened while the military took control in two coups in 2020 and 2021. They also pushed out French forces and the United Nations peacekeeping mission called MINUSMA.
The area where the armed rebellion in the Sahel began has been experiencing increased tension in recent weeks. This tension has been partly triggered by the withdrawal of UN peacekeeping troops who had been helping to keep a fragile peace.
The Tuareg alliance stated that they see themselves as being in a state of “war” with the current ruling military. This military has joined forces with the Russian military group Wagner, after sending French troops away last year.