A coalition of armed groups, who are signatories to a major peace agreement in northern Mali, said Sunday they were preparing to defend themselves against the ruling junta, accusing it of violating mutual security commitments.
The Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security, and Development (CSP) coalition urged civilians to move away from military facilities in what appeared to be a prelude to conflict.
The governorate of the eastern Gao region on Sunday said it had installed a 30-day overnight curfew between 8:00 pm and 6:00 am with only security vehicles exempted.
The armed groups’ statement followed a suicide attack Friday on a military base in northern Mali, which itself came a day after deadly strikes on an army camp and a passenger boat by suspected jihadists killed 64 people.
The region — the cradle of a jihadist insurgency that has swept into three Sahel nations — has seen a resurgence of tension in recent weeks, triggered in part by the pullout of UN peacekeeping troops from Mali.
