Tuareg Rebels Ambush Malian, Russian Forces Near Algerian Border

At approximately 2:50 p.m. local time on July 25th, Tuareg rebels organized under the Permanent Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad (CSP-DPA), conducted an ambush on a convoy of personnel from the Malian armed forces (FAMA) and Russian mercenaries..The convoy was heading to the commune of Tinzaouten, on the edge of the Algerian border, from the commune of Boughassa, southwest of the city of Inafarak, a Tuareg stronghold, which came under the control of FAMA just two days ago..What You Need to Know.According to Tuareg sources, approximately five Russian mercenaries and 10 FAMA personnel were killed in the ambush, while Russian mercenary sources have stated that "a couple" of armored vehicles from the Malian armed forces were "hit and disabled during the battle.".The ambush, thought to have been planned by Ag Intalla, a well-known Tuareg politician, forced the FAMA and Russian mercenaries into a low ground with limited natural barriers, with the Tuaregs posting Azawadi snipers on the high ground, according to images of the snipers posted on X..Russian sources close to the mercenaries, updating their units as the battle was ongoing said, "the terrain on which the Azawad forced the battle is not the best (good visibility, lack of natural barriers), but behind it is an idea to drive the Malian forces into the gorges between the hills, gradually retreating along the wadi [a dry valley/ravine]. The main thing now is not to fall into the trap.".As the battle raged, a sandstorm swept through the area, causing both sides to regroup. The fighting is likely to continue in the morning..Furthermore, Russian sources have claimed a rescue helicopter was sent in to evacuate the wounded, while Azawadi channels have circulated images of a dead Russian mercenary left by his unit..The battle prompted the Algerian border forces to increase its presence in the area, as civilians located in the commune fled..The Details.Azawad, roughly translating to 'the land of transhumance,' in reference to the nomadic lifestyles of the Tuareg people, is an imagined state found in northern Mali, where the country's Tuaregs reside..The Tuareg people are a group of semi-nomadic herders found in northern Mali, the border regions of Niger, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Mauritania and Libya. They speak a Berber-based language, either Tamashek, Tamajaq, or Tamahaq depending on where they live. During the colonization period, the Tuareg people became fragmented by the borders drawn by the French, which impeded the Tuareg desire for an independent state..As a result and since independence in 1960, various armed Tuareg groups have fought against the Malian government in order to realize the creation of an independent state. Russia's Wagner group was recruited in December 2021 to aid the newly established military junta of Colonel Assimi Goita, who ousted President Bah N'daw in a May 2021 coup. Since then, Wagner (now known as the 'Africa Corps') and FAMA forces have conducted a brutal counter-insurgency campaign against the country's many armed groups, including Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM)—an umbrella group of Islamic militant organizations such as Ansar al-Din, al-Mourabitoun (MUJAO), Katiba Macina, and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)—the Islamic State in the Greater Sahel (ISGS), and the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), an umbrella group of Tuareg separatist movements..In early January, the Malian junta terminated a 2015 peace accord with the rebels, reigniting the ethnic aspect of Mali's multi-dimensional conflict..So, What Now?.In recent weeks, Russian mercenaries alongside the FAMA, have stepped up attacks on Tuareg strongholds, with at least 10 unarmed civilians killed in the commune of Tin-Esseko in early July..As the sandstorm brought the battle to a halt, Malian state-linked media sources claimed that "the Malian military responded vigorously by diverting the attackers. In their flight, the armed groups abandoned lifeless bodies," with the Alliance of the Sahel States claiming in a press release that the "FAMA repels a terrorist attack and inflicts heavy losses on the enemy in northern Mali.".The misrepresentation of losses is an increasingly common method utilized by Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Chad—all junta-ruled Sahelian nations—as they struggle to contain the insurgencies raging in and outside of their borders, with the insurgents making use of the 'tri-border zone' between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to evade government forces and regroup..This ambush is of particular importance, as the loss of Inafarak, a long-time Tuareg stronghold, to the FAMA raised questions among many analysts about the true strength of the CSP-DPA..The battle taking place so close to the Algerian border is likely to prompt a further build-up of Algerian forces in the area, which may serve to aid the Tuaregs. In April, Russian and Malian forces pursued Tuareg rebels into the Mauritanian villages of Fassala and Madalla, prompting the Mauritania armed forces to conduct a series of live fire drills along its border with Mali..Currently, Mauritania houses approximately 104,000 Malian refugees, mostly situated in its Hodh Ech Chargui region..The advances of the Malian army into the country's northern border zones with Algeria is likely to prompt an exodus of Malian civilians into the country, which serves as main gateway for many refugees from the Sahel.