Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BAMAKO325
2008-04-03 11:16:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bamako
Cable title:  

MALI USES HELICOPTERS TO ATTACK BAHANGA NEAR KIDAL

Tags:  ASEC PINS PINR ML 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO2186
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHBP #0325 0941116
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 031116Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY BAMAKO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8955
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/COMSOCEUR VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAMAKO 000325 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2018
TAGS: ASEC PINS PINR ML
SUBJECT: MALI USES HELICOPTERS TO ATTACK BAHANGA NEAR KIDAL

REF: A. BAMAKO 00320

B. 07 BAMAKO 00994

C. BAMAKO 00299

Classified By: Political Officer Aaron Sampson, Embassy Bamako, for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAMAKO 000325

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2018
TAGS: ASEC PINS PINR ML
SUBJECT: MALI USES HELICOPTERS TO ATTACK BAHANGA NEAR KIDAL

REF: A. BAMAKO 00320

B. 07 BAMAKO 00994

C. BAMAKO 00299

Classified By: Political Officer Aaron Sampson, Embassy Bamako, for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

1.(C) On April 2 Mali attacked Ibrahim Bahanga and his men
with two Hind-D helicopters near the village of Alket 25 KM
southwest of Kidal. Bahanga took up positions near Alket
along the road to Gao on March 31 ostensibly to block the
Malian army's ability to resupply Kidal (Ref A).

2.(C) Two rebels were reported killed and four wounded.
Several of Bahanga's vehicles were also destroyed. Small
arms fire from the ground hit one of the attack helicopters
and killed the pilot, who was probably Ukrainian. Witnesses
saw smoke billowing from the damagedhelicopter, which
managed to return to its base n Gao. The damaged
helicopter's other pilot wasreportedly wounded. Mali
purchased two Hind-D hlicopters in July 2007.

3.(C) As the helicopter were attacking Bahanga's positions,
a military esupply column of up to 40 military vehicles --
which had stopped at the village of Anefis on March 31 to
avoid running into the rebels - managed to circumvent Bahanga
and reach Kidal. As of the morning of April 3, Bahanga was
still positioned along the Gao road, 25 KM southwest of
Kidal, and may have mined the rock escarpments near Kidal.

4.(C) Comment: This is the first time Mali has used air
power against Bahanga. As the Malian air force and rebels
were exchanging fire outside of Kidal, President Amadou
Toumani Toure's personal military advisor and three Tuareg
representatives were in the process of drafting up a
cease-fire agreement in Tripoli. The cease-fire discussions
emanating from the negotiators in Tripoli and events on the
ground in northern Mali would appear in that case to have
fallen out of sync. However, it is also possible that the
GOM saw value in reinforcing Kidal before guns were silenced.
In any case the Malian military and government should be
pleased that an active engagement with Bahanga finally went
their way.
LEONARD