Amid serious security developments, Mali appoints a new Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.
Mali is facing an unprecedented crisis due to a siege imposed on the capital by "Ansar al-Islam wal-Muslimin"
Written by: Ziad Abdel Fattah
Brigadier General Elizi Jean Dao, former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Malian Armed Forces, was officially appointed Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, and on this occasion, he was promoted to the rank of Major General.
It came under the supervision of General Assimi Goïta, head of the transitional phase and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, in Mali, and within the framework of strengthening Military chain of command.
The armed forces in Mali are participating on several fronts to defend the country.
The appointment comes as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the Malian armed forces, which are involved in several operational fronts to defend the country and protect the population.
The appointment came under the supervision of Lieutenant General Asimi GuaitaThe head of the transitional phase and the supreme commander of the armed forces, thereby confirming his support for the defense and security forces in their mission to secure the country.
Through this decision, the authorities intend to enhance the operational effectiveness and strategic coordination of the Malian armed forces in the face of current security challenges.
The capital is besieged... an unprecedented crisis in Mali
These developments come amid an unprecedented crisis in Mali, triggered by a siege imposed on the capital by the “Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin” group, which cut off fuel supplies. The group’s leader, Iyad Ag Ghali, vowed to overthrow the government and expel its Russian allies. Meanwhile, Mali is experiencing dangerous security developments, including accusations against army officers of colluding with armed groups, such as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, and being involved in recent attacks. This complicates the security and political landscape, represents an unprecedented breach within the military establishment, and constitutes a blow to the head of the military council, Assimi Goïta.
Questions are being raised about the army’s ability to make progress in light of the arrests and losses it has recently suffered, coinciding with the transitional authorities in Mali talking about the army launching attacks aimed at regaining the territory it lost in the recent coordinated attacks.
The Malian army announced on Wednesday that it had killed more than 50 ”terrorists” during a series of airstrikes targeting various locations across the country, as part of ongoing military operations to track down armed groups.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces explained that the air strikes also resulted in the destruction of vehicles, fuel depots and ammunition, stressing that the operations come within what it described as ”offensive reconnaissance operations” carried out by the forces on a large scale.
