Sahel : la force unifiée de l'AES mène d'intenses frappes aériennes au Nord du Mali
The response in the Sahel was swift. The unified anti-jihadist force, comprising Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, launched intense air campaigns in northern Mali. This offensive comes just days after last Saturday's coordinated attacks by jihadist groups and Tuareg rebels against Malian junta positions. These assaults plunged the region into a new crisis, marked in particular by the death of Mali's Defense Minister and the strategic loss of the city of Kidal.
Following a cabinet meeting held Thursday evening, the Nigerien government praised the forceful response of its forces. The strikes targeted locations in the Gao, Ménaka, and Kidal areas, just hours after what Niamey described as cowardly attacks. This intervention underscores the growing strength of the unified force of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), whose troop strength was increased to 15,000 in mid-April to address the escalating insecurity.
On the diplomatic and security front, tensions are escalating. While the spokesperson for the Tuareg rebels of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) called on Burkina Faso and Niger not to interfere in Malian affairs, neighboring countries reaffirmed their unwavering solidarity. At the funeral of the Malian Minister of Defense in Bamako, Burkinabe General Célestin Simporé vowed to hunt down the perpetrators of this act to their last hideout. In Niamey, a thousand people also gathered to express their support for the Malian people.
Beyond the military sphere, the Nigerien junta used this communication to point the finger at foreign powers. France is explicitly accused by Niamey of sponsoring Saturday's attacks, a recurring accusation that Paris has always firmly denied. Due to this extremely tense security situation, the Nigerien authorities have decided to cancel all parades planned for May 1st throughout the country.
Commentaires (18)
Participer à la Discussion
Règles de la communauté :
💡 Astuce : Utilisez des emojis depuis votre téléphone ou le module emoji ci-dessous. Cliquez sur GIF pour ajouter un GIF animé. Collez un lien X/Twitter, TikTok ou Instagram pour l'afficher automatiquement.