Six members of the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), members of the Operational Coordination Mechanism (MOC) battalion, are removed for desertion, theft and complicity in theft of vehicles of the MOC in Gao.
The removal decision of « non-commissioned officers and enlisted members » was signed on May 17 by Alghabass Ag Intalla, acting president of the CMA.
According to Article 2 of the said decision, « the military authorities of the CMA and all the partners of the Agreement are requested to seek, apprehend, arrest the concerned persons and bring them to justice, together with their accomplices and receivers ».
Three MOC vehicles were abducted within few weeks in Gao, an agent of the Mechanism told Sahelien.com
These abductions and robberies, in which the members of the MOC are involved, raised questions about the effectiveness of the disciplinary measures taken a few weeks ago by the MOC officials to better supervise the combatants.
According to an official of the MOC interviewed by Sahelien.com, it’s about the creation of a « military police » to keep an eye on the actions of the combatants, the provision of a toll-free number to the populations, reduction in traffic and the express identification of the MOC vehicles and exemplary sanctions against the violators of the new rules.
The Operational Coordination Mechanism is one of the implementation instruments provided by the Peace and Reconciliation Agreement in Mali resulting from the Algiers process. The MOC is responsible for planning and conducting mixed patrols including members of the Malian armed and security forces, and members of the CMA and the Platform.
Augustin K. FodouTranslated by Mahaitou Ibrahim Maiga