AFRICA/MALI - The rebel advance, the fear in Mopti grows

Bamako (Agenzia Fides) - "A growing fear among the residents of Mopti and the rebels comes to conquer the city, many people are fleeing " Church sources in Mali told Fides, where rebels of the Movement of National Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) have conquered the most important centers of the north and in particular the strategic triangle Kidal -Gao- Timbuktu. "Mopti is located on the border between the north and south of the Country. The rebels, who say they want to 'liberate' the north of Mali, might advance to that place and then stop" explain Fides sources. "In Bamako for the moment the situation is calm. The soldiers fleeing from the north are heading towards the capital. The soldiers flee before the advancing rebels because they are under-equipped".
The military junta that took power with the coup on 22 March, before the reaction of the international community and the serious situation in the north, has promised to restore constitutional order. The coup leaders had justified the coup in order to remedy, in their opinion, the deficiencies in arms and ammunition of the troops deployed in the north. Today the leaders of the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS) have met in Dakar, Senegal, to discuss the crisis in Mali.
"Now it is the ECOWAS that will determine how the transition will take place during the meeting in Dakar today. It is not known if President Amadou Toumani Toure will resume his duties or be appointed Head of State ad interim President of the Assembly" our sources say.
The advance of the MNLA rebels is generating serious concern in the Countries of the area. As a diplomatic source told Fides: "The situation in northern Mali is a consequence of the war in Libya. The MNLA rebels consist largely of Tuareg fighters who fought in Gaddafi’s army during the war last year, and now return to their home countries, like Mali and Niger. " Besides these, there are at least two Islamist movements, AQMI (Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb and Ansar Adine), which have benefited from the weapons looted in Libyan deposits. Niger has closed the borders with Mali and has ordered the disarmament of Tuareg combatants who have returned from Libya. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 02/04/2012)