Tuareg separatists announced Saturday the lifting of blockades they'd set up in December on main roads throughout northern Mali after the national army took back several towns. The Taureg-dominated rebel groups lost control of several localities in the north of the country after an army offensive in late 2023 that culminated with the taking of Kidal, a bastion of the separatist movement. The military junta that seized power in a 2020 coup largely won those exchanges, but the rebels didn't surrender and retreated into remote desert and mountainous areas. In December, the rebels blocked all products and types of vehicles in the sparsely populated north. There also have been accusations of atrocities committed against civilians during the recent offensive by Mali's army and the Russian force, which again the authorities have repeatedly denied.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 11, 2024 01:50 UTC