BANDITRY OR REBELLION: TUAREGS AND MALIAN MILITARY

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAMAKO 000524

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/14/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV ML
SUBJECT: BANDITRY OR REBELLION: TUAREGS AND MALIAN MILITARY
CLASH AT TIN-ZAWATENE

REF: BAMAKO 0505

Classified By: POLITICAL OFFICER GLENN FEDZER
FOR REASON 1.4(B) and (D)


1. (SBU) The confrontation between Ibrahim Bahanga and the
Malian army (reftel) in Tin-zawatene turned violent 11 May
when Bahanga allegedly launched an early morning attack;
embassy sources indicated that three Malian soldiers were
killed and two wounded. Bahanga's casualties were not
reported, but local press reports put fatalities for both
sides as high as 20. No official announcement has been made
by the Malian military. The Minister of Territorial
Administration Kone told the Ambassador May 11 that the
Malian authorities would "quickly master the situation."


2. (U) Other Tuaregs, most significantly ADC (Alliance
Democratique du Mai 23 pour le Changement) leader Iyad
Aghaly, have distanced themselves from Bahanga's actions. An
Embassy source indicated that ADC members were actively
engaging local Tuareg communities to impress upon them that
Bahanga was acting alone, and had attached ADC members to
Malian military units to make the same point.


3. (C) As one newspaper put it, Bahanga's actions appear
more banditry than rebellion. Bahanga does not appear to
have general support of the Tuareg population, and his
actions may in fact endanger the very development projects he
claims to demand. More likely his attack was an attempt to
coordinate some control over the smuggling trade (reftel) in
the region--and likely a failed attempt. Embassy sources
reported that despite their casualties, the Malian Army held
their ground, and received reinforcements from Kidal, even
including some ADC members, within hours of the first attack
By the end of the day, Bahanga withdrew (one source put him
across the border in Algeria),leaving the Malian Army in
control of Tin-zawatene.
McCulley