Aklaz and Awkassa massacres
Aklaz and Awkassa massacres | |
---|---|
Part of Mali War | |
Location | Aklaz and Awkassa refugee camps, Menaka Cercle, Mali |
Date | April 26 and 27, 2018 |
Target | Daoussahak Tuareg civilians |
Deaths | 47 |
Injured | 2 |
Perpetrator | ![]() |
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Tuareg rebellion (2012):
- 1st Ménaka
- 1st Aguelhok
- Tin-Hama
- In Emsal
- 1st Andéramboukane
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- Sudere
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- 1st Gao
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- Tagarangabotte
- 2nd Ménaka
- Khalil
- In Arab
Foreign intervention:
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- EUTM
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- Konna
- 2nd Gao
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- 3rd Gao
- 4th Gao
- Ifoghas
- Panther
- 5th Gao
- In Khalil
- Timetrine
- 1st Kidal attack
- Imenas
- Tin Keraten
- Tigharghâr
- 1st Djebok
- 2nd Timbuktu
- 6th Gao
- 3rd Timbuktu
- 2nd Kidal attack
- 1st Ber
- Hamakouladji
- 1st Anéfis
- 2nd Anéfis
- Fooïta
- Douaya
- 2nd Tessalit
- Amazragane
- 1st Araouane
- 3rd Kidal attack
2014
- Kondaoui
- Tamkoutat
- 1st Ametettai
- Dayet
- Inabohane and Ebahlal
- 2nd Kidal
- 2nd Aguelhok
- 3rd Anéfis
- 1st Tabankort
- 2nd Indelimane
- 2nd Ametettai
- N'Tillit
- 2nd Tabankort
2015
- 1st Nampala
- Ténenkou
- 3rd Tabankort
- Tabrichat
- Bamako restaurant
- 4th Kidal attack
- 1st Léré
- Tin Telout
- Nara
- Takoumbaout
- Sama Forest
- 1st Gourma-Rharous
- Sévaré hotel
- 4th Anéfis
- Tiébanda
- Bamako hotel
- 5th Kidal attack
- 1st Talahandak
2016
2017
- 6th Gao
- 1st Boulikessi
- 2nd Gourma-Rharous
- Foulsaré Forest
- 1st Dogofry
- 1st Serma Forest
- Bintagoungou
- Kangaba
- Inkadogotane
- 2nd Djebok
- Takellote
- 4th Timbuktu
- Tin Biden
- 3rd Indelimane
2018
- 4th In-Delimane
- Youwarou
- Soumpi
- Inaghalawass
- 2nd Araouane
- Akabar
- 5th Timbuktu
- Aklaz and Awkassa
- 1st Talataye
- Tabarde
- 1st Boni
- Inabelbel
- Soumouni
- 2nd Dogofry
- Ndaki
- 2nd Ber
- Farimake
- Tinabaw and Tabangout-Tissalatatene
- Abanguilou
2019
- Koulogon
- 2nd Serma Forest
- Taghatert and West Inekar
- 4th Aguelhok
- Elakla
- Dialloubé
- Diankabou
- 1st Dioura
- Ogossagou
- Tiésaba-Bourgou
- Guiré
- Sobane Da
- Gangafani and Yoro
- Fafa
- 2nd Boulikessi
- 5th In-Delimane
- 4th Tabankort
- 3rd Ménaka
- Wagadou Forest
2020
- Dioungani
- Sokolo
- 1st Tarkint
- 1st Bamba
- 2nd Talahandak
- Bouka Weré
- Bankass
- Coup
- 1st Farabougou
- Sokoura
- 3rd Boulikessi
- Tadamakat
- Niaki
2021
- Wedding airstrike
- Boulikessi and Mondoro
- 2nd Boni
- 2nd Tessit
- 5th Aguelhok
- Coup
- 2nd Tarkint
- Karou and Ouatagouna
- Dangarous Forest
- Nokara
- Bodio
- Mopti
2022
- Archam
- Danguèrè Wotoro
- Mondoro
- Ménaka
- 2nd Andéramboukane
- 3rd Tessit
- 2nd Talataye
- Tadjalalt and Haroum
- Moura
- Hombori
- Mopti Region
- Diallassagou
- Bandiagara
2023
- Markacoungo
- Diafarabé and Koumara
- Kani Bonzon
- 5th Timbuktu
- 3rd Ber
- Tombouctou and Bamba
- Bourem
- 2nd Léré
- 2nd Dioura
- 2nd Bamba
- Kidal Region
- 4th Kidal
- 2nd Niafunké
- Labbezanga
- 2nd Farabougou
2024
- Kwala
- Douna
- Mourdiah
- Abeïbara
- Djiguibombo
- 2nd Tinzaouaten
On April 26 and 27, 2018, militants from the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara attacked two refugee camps near Andéramboukane, Ménaka, Mali, killing forty-seven people, mostly Tuareg civilians.
Prelude
Heavy fighting occurred in southeastern Mali's Menaka region in early 2018 between the Malian army, aligned with the French army, Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (MSA), and Imghad Tuareg Self-Defense Group and Allies (GATIA) against the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara.[1] The massacre of four civilians in Inwelane, near Talataye, in February led to reprisal offensives by the MSA against ISGS.[2] The French army stated on March 15 that the reprisal offensives saw 60 ISGS militants killed or captured.[3] The heaviest fighting occurred during the battle of Akabar on April 1, where thirty jihadists were killed.[4]
Conflicts between the Tuareg rebel groups and ISGS often stem from ethnic conflict between the Daoussahak Tuaregs and Fulani, with massacres being ethnically motivated.[1] In April 2018, MINUSMA accused both movements of having summarily executed 95 people in Menaka region, along with looting and ethnic cleansing.[5] Sixteen Tuareg nomads were killed in the village of Tchigin Bawel on April 18.[6] Despite this, Bruno Guibert, the commander of the French Operation Barkhane, stated that attacks on civilians had significantly decreased in the Menaka region.[1]
Massacres
The first attack occurred at Aklaz (also spelled Akliz), when armed men arrived with 16 motorcycles and began shooting indiscriminately at residents of the refugee camp. An MSA patrol set out in pursuit of the attackers the next day, alleging to have killed four perpetrators of the attack, with one MSA fighter dead and one injured.[7] Meanwhile, militants shot up the Awkassa camp as well.[8]
Aftermath
Death toll
The governor of Menaka, Daouda Maiga, stated that six to nine people were killed in Aklaz and thirty-one in Awkassa. Maiga stated that while the elderly, women, and children were shot, many of the dead were young men affiliated with the MSA.[9] A Daoussahak tribal administrator stated that 43 people were killed, all of whom were civilians. The MSA corroborated this, assessing twelve deaths in Aklaz and 31 in Awkassa.[10]
MINUSMA stated on April 30 that forty-seven people were killed and two were injured in the massacres.[11] The next day, the French Army, GATIA, and the MSA corroborated the toll.[11]
Reactions
Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the head of MINUSMA, declared the attacks "war crimes", with the French Army accusing the perpetrators of "terrorist attacks."[11]
Perpetrators
While no group claimed responsibility for the attacks, the perpetrators are suspected to be the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara.[12] All civilians killed were Daoussahak, and the perpetrators were Fulani.[13] Maiga alleged that the massacres were reprisal attacks for the joint offensive by MSA and GATIA in February and March, along with an attempt to induce fear in Daoussahak populations of Menaka.[12]
Further massacres
Two more massacres were committed on May 1 in the villages of Tindinbawen and Taylalene. GATIA and the MSA assessed that seventeen civilians were killed in the attacks, with several burned to death in their homes.[14][15] Fulani rights organizations denounced the attacks, but also accused the two groups of committing attacks against Fulani communities, in particular in Niger.[15] The MSA denied these incursions.[16] On May 18, seventeen Fulani were killed in an attack in Aghay, Niger.[17]
The MSA signed an agreement with Fulani supremacist group Ganda Iso on May 5 to ease tensions between Daoussahak and Fulani and to create a unified force against ISGS, but the latter retracted their portion of the agreement, claiming Mohamed Sidibe, Ganda Izo's signatory, hadn't been affiliated with the group since 2014.[18]
References
- ^ a b c ""Face à Barkhane, un ennemi aux abois"". L'Express (in French). 2018-04-20. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "Mali: à Gao, la situation sécuritaire est inquiétante". RFI (in French). 2018-02-05. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "Mali: la force Barkhane annonce avoir neutralisé 60 jihadistes en un mois". RFI (in French). 2018-03-15. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ Alonso, Pierre; Macé, Célian. ""Moussa", l'arme de Paris au Sahel". Libération (in French). Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "Mali – Ag Acharatoumane (MSA) : " L'État islamique au Grand Sahara ne sera pas vaincu par des forces étrangères " – Jeune Afrique". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "Niger: 17 morts lors d'une attaque à Aghay, près de la frontière malienne". RFI (in French). 2018-05-19. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "Mali: 12 civils tués près de la frontière avec le Niger". Le Figaro (in French). 2018-04-27. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ AFP (2023-11-24). "Mali: plus de 30 civils touareg ont été tués par des jihadistes présumés". La Libre.be (in French). Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ Zonebourse (2018-04-28). "Quarante Touaregs tués au Mali, les djihadistes montrés du doigt - 28/04/2018 | Zonebourse". www.zonebourse.com (in French). Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "Mali : au moins 43 civils touaregs tués en deux jours dans des attaques". France 24 (in French). 2018-04-28. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ a b c "L'ONU dénonce les tueries de civils à Ménaka au Mali". Voice of America (in French). 2018-05-01. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ a b "Mali: deux attaques font une quarantaine de morts dans le nord-est". RFI (in French). 2018-04-28. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "Au moins 12 civils tués par des hommes armés à Ménaka". Voice of America (in French). 2018-04-27. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "Au Mali, 17 civils tués par des jihadistes présumés à la frontière nigérienne". parismatch.com (in French). 2018-05-02. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ a b "Mali: escalade de violences au Mali dans la zone de Ménaka". RFI (in French). 2018-05-03. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "Niger: des Peuls dénoncent les incursions et exactions d'ex-rebelles maliens". RFI (in French). 2018-05-07. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "Au moins 17 civils massacrés au Niger". Voice of America (in French). 2018-05-19. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
- ^ "Mali: situation confuse à Ménaka entre les groupes armés". RFI (in French). 2018-05-09. Retrieved 2023-11-25.