Moussa Ag Acharatoumane, leader of the Movement for the Salvation of Azawad, returns for Sahelien.com, on the crack in the movement he co-founded after leaving the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) , one year ago.
Created on September 2, 2016, the Movement for the Salvation of Azawad, dissidence from the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), is going through a bad patch. On October 11, several of its members made the decision to slam the door of the movement. This, in a security context that continues to deteriorate in the Menaka region plowed by inter-community conflicts and attacks by terrorist groups. Moussa Ag Acharatoumane, leader of the MSA, gives us explanations.
Sahelien.com: What is the current situation in Menaka?
Moussa Ag Acharatoumane: The situation in Menaka has evolved negatively since the last crisis around the city of Kidal, when it was a region that had made some progress in terms of security. Which gave hope to the people.
“Currently, there is a deterioration of security conditions, since the stop of the mixed patrols”.
Sahelien.com: What characterized this progress you’re talking about?
Moussa Ag Acharatoumane: Menaka was the only region where mixed patrols were organized between FAMa (Malian Armed Forces, ed.) and international forces. Patrols were organized every night inside the city of Menaka with 2 pick-ups for the FAMa, 2 pick-ups for the Movement for the Salvation of Azawad and 2 pick-ups for Gatia (armed group Tuareg imghad and allies) from 10 pm to 6 am. Menaka had almost become a model to the north. It was the only region where security was 100% secure. The area had become very calm. Currently, there is a deterioration in security conditions since the stop of mixed patrols. The attacks are almost daily in town, as outside the city. Despite this, the MSA has not stopped the movements of its troops to secure as much as possible the people and their property. Alone. It is a difficult mission even impossible.
Sahelien.com: Who are the perpetrators of the attacks in the Menaka region?
Moussa Ag Acharatoumane: There is the group of Adnane Abu Walid al-Sahraoui but also people from Ansar Eddine. To this, are added bandits of all kinds … The area is infested now.
On October 11, the heads of some fractions of the Daoussahak community resigned from the MSA to join the HCUA, member of the Coordination of Azawad Movements that you had left. What explanations do you have to give?
In fact, I want to clarify that out of 12 people announced, 7 have denied their letter, including the president of the transitional college of Menaka. That said, this decision has no impact on the MSA, as they, to my knowledge, have no military presence in the Movement, and are not members of the Political Bureau. Initially, they joined voluntarily and today decided to leave of their own accord. This is not a problem for the movement. Siguidi Ag Madit was a member of the MNLA, which he abandoned to join the HCUA, which he also abandoned for the Gatia. Then he returned to the CMA, then the MSA and now the HCUA. That says a lot about the character, although I respect him very much like all my elders. They are notables of the Idaksahak community and that remains unchanged whatever their membership.
They blame you for having signed in Niger an agreement to fight the Fulani and the Arabs?
Niger is a big and serious country. Nowhere in the world have we seen a State sign a document with any individual to fight its own citizens. Who am I to make such a commitment? In whose name? These are just unfounded allegations. You know, terrorism is a global problem, it’s a matter for States; they are better placed, better equipped and better informed to do that. Our mission and our goals are to protect people from all forms of aggression, no matter who is doing the wrong thing. We are doing this work towards peace, the stability of our region.
So you didn’t sign a document?
There is no document.
So, why did they leave the movement?
They usually walk between movements. As I explained it so well above.
Where are the relations between the Daoussahaq and the Tollobè Fulani of Niger, who have been in conflict since the 1970s?
Indeed, there is a conflict between these two large communities, which are economically very wealthy but have very tense relations. But the new crisis in Mali has contributed to further deteriorate this crisis. We had several meetings in Tillabery, Niger, to try to find Fulani interlocutors in order to find a solution for our respective populations (Fulani, Daousahak, Imghads, Ibogholitane etc …). All the communities living in this area are undergoing these many crimes that cannot be brought to the communities in question, because other actors, often better organized than these populations, act and stoke the fire. The Fulani community is also faced with a problem that all pastoralists face, namely the land issue. Because our States often give more priority and privilege to farmers, with laws that deny all rights and property to farmers. This is a real problem, which causes the nomadic herders to have all the problems to graze their animals. This dimension must also be taken into account in the resolution of the crisis between breeders and farmers, because the farms occupy too many spaces while nomadic animals are at the mercy of all problems.
Sidi Ahmed S.