Maghreb Edition

Sahel: Mali opposition leader Soumaila Cisse goes missingF

Posted On 26 March 2020

Number of times this article was read : 423
Bamako, March 25, 2020 – Leading Malian opposition leader Soumaila Cisse went missing in the war-torn centre of the country on Wednesday afternoon, his party said, with no-one is able to contact him since. In a statement released on Wednesday, Cisse’s Union for the Republic and Democracy (URD) party said the politician and his team had gone missing after campaigning near the town of Niafunke, in central Mali. Cisse is a former minister of finance and has run for president of Mali three times. He and his team were expected at the nearby village of Koumaira later in the afternoon but never turned up, the statement added, also saying that they were  no longer reachable by telephone.
Mali has been struggling to contain an Islamist insurgency that erupted in the north in 2012, and which has claimed thousands of military and civilian lives. Despite the presence of thousands of French and UN troops, the conflict in Mali has engulfed the centre of the country and spread to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. Al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadists are active in the area of central Mali where Cisse and his team disappeared.
The circumstances of the disappearance remain unclear, however, and AFP was unable to reach Mali’s government for comment.”The party is deeply concerned about the situation and invites the government, the armed and security forces, and (the UN) to deploy all their energies to find them,” the URD statement said.
By AFP

Subscribe to Urgent Notifications and Newsletter

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Gulf War Escalates as Energy Markets Reel and Regional Fronts Multiply$

The war involving Iran, Israel, and the United States is expanding across the Middle East, with growing consequences for global energy markets and regional security. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure have pushed oil prices higher and raised concerns about supply stability. As missile exchanges intensify and fighting spreads to Lebanon, world leaders are scrambling to assess the economic fallout and prevent further escalation.

West Africa: Jihadist Attacks Intensify in Northern Benin Amid Cross-Border Insurgency Pressure$

Jihadist attacks in northern Benin have intensified in recent weeks, with militants linked to JNIM claiming a deadly assault on a military position near the Niger border and carrying out additional raids on security posts along the country’s volatile frontiers with Burkina Faso and Nigeria. The violence underscores how northern Benin has become part of a wider cross-border insurgency spilling south from the central Sahel, even as authorities bolster Operation Mirador and try to prevent armed groups from entrenching themselves on Beninese soil.

Desert Locusts Stir Fresh Worries in North-West Africa$

Small desert locust swarms recently detected along the western Sahara corridor have prompted stepped-up monitoring across parts of North and West Africa, where shifting rainfall can quickly turn quiet desert areas into launchpads for wider infestations.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.