The army says it controls a stage town towards the rebel stronghold of Kital

Army Malian It said on Saturday that it had taken “total control” of the city, which is stationed towards the stronghold of Kital Tuareg separatist rebellion. “FAMA [forces armées maliennes] I took this in advance [samedi] Full control of the city of Anephis in the morning. Assessments are underway,” the Army said in a statement. “We call on the people to calm down. Everything is being done to ensure the safety of people and their property,” according to the text. Anéfis is located 110 km south of Kital, a rebel stronghold in northeastern Mali.

Almou Ag Mohamed, spokesman for the Coalition of Azawad Movements (CMA), a coalition of Tuareg-dominated separatist groups, confirmed to AFP that Anéfis was now under government control. “Wagner and his accomplice Fama have terrorist forces in Anefis. But Anefis is not a big problem for us. We are at war, a battle is longer and doesn’t play out below a level. Anephis is only one stage, the front is mobile,” he assured. “We saw this [samedi] Wagner and FAMA’s white mercenaries in the town of Anéfis in the morning,” confirmed a witness at the site contacted by AFP.

A convoy left Kao on Monday

As part of bilateral cooperation, the military junta in power in Mali says it has enlisted the services of instructors. Russia and refuses Wagner’s existenceThe presence of the Russian security team is usually taken over by other actors working in Mali.

A Malian military convoy of dozens of vehicles and armored vehicles left Kao for Kitala on Monday. It has been under attack ever since. The column of vehicles advances slowly and fuels speculation about its destination and objectives.

Statements that are difficult to verify

The assault on rebel positions in the Kidal region could be a turning point after a decade of conflict, as attacks by separatist groups and jihadists from the al-Qaeda-linked Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM) are on the rise. Mali military camps in the north and center of the country. Islamic State-affiliated groups also continue to operate, mainly in the east.

The Tuareg rebels said earlier Thursday that they had halted the convoy’s progress and shot down a military plane in Tabankart, south of Anefis. It is difficult to verify the claims of all the protagonists in these remote areas. Access to independent sources is problematic in the context of hostilities and military rule.

20 minutes with AFP