Deadly Mali Attack Leaves 14 Dead

On Sunday, July 15^th, a group of gunmen attacked a village in Northeastern Mali, killing 14 civilians. The victims of the assault and a few vehicles were both burned by the attackers before leaving. Local government officials have not stated who they believe is responsible for the attack. Tuareg militia members have claimed the assailants belong to a criminal organization along the border with Niger. The attack comes two weeks before Mali’s Presidential election.

Mali has been a hotbed for violence and terrorism since 2012. After the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) rebelled against the government, the MNLA aligned itself with Ansar al-Dine (AAD), a group linked to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb’s (AQIM). After an attempt between the MNLA and AAD to form a united government in 2012, conflict between the two groups broke out. AAD turned against the MNLA and Ansar al-Dine emerged as the sole governors of the rebel regions. At the end of 2012, a Western coalition led by France and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) joined forces to retake Northern Mali. Within a year the territories had been recaptured, and by 2015 a peace deal between the MNLA and the Malian government was signed.

While the Mali government and the MNLA have a peace deal, the conflict between the Mali Government and AAD, along with other jihadist groups, continues to rage on. Core principles of AAD, such as the strict enforcement of Shariah law and Malian unity under their governance, eliminate any hope of a reasonable peace deal. Previous peace talks between Mali and AAD have not resulted in a lasting ceasefire mainly for these reasons.

The attack is troubling news for the upcoming Mali elections. There is already broad distrust of the Malian government, and the added problem of continuous terror attacks from al-Qaeda-backed groups only adds to issues surrounding the election. The election is being viewed as a vote on confidence in the Mali government and on the 2015 peace deal with MNLA. If the Malian government cannot protect its citizens during the election, turnout numbers will only decrease, and this may allow for losing parties to challenge the legitimacy of the election.

It is in the best interest of the United States for the Malian government to have free and fair elections that result in a stable government that can bring peace and freedom to the citizens of Mali. The U.S. already supports the Malian government in counterterror operations, and this will surely continue through the election process.