AFRICA/MALI - The attack against the UN is part of the jihadist strategy to destabilize the entire region

Bamako (Agenzia Fides) - "The UN Timbuktu base was almost certainly attacked by an Islamist group, because the Tuareg rebel group are committed to respecting the peace agreements signed with the government", says to Agenzia Fides Fr. Edmond Dembele, Secretary general of the Episcopal Conference of Mali, where there is an ongoing attack against the UN Mission base (MINUSMA) in Timbuktu.
"At the moment there is no fighting between the Tuareg groups and the Malian army or MINUSMA, so this attack is certainly the work of armed Islamist groups" says Fr. Dembele. "It is probably the same group that attacked the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako, capital of Mali in November, and the Splendid hotel and restaurant "Le Cappuccino" in Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso (see Fides 16/01/2016) on January 15". "Their goal is to destabilize not only Mali but the entire sub-region. It is no coincidence that they attack MINUSMA in Mali which is a stabilizing force".
"The threat has now reached Senegal, whose government these days has tightened security measures after the Senegalese police arrested several people a few weeks ago accused of being linked to jihadist" says the priest. "The sensitive points of the capital, Dakar, and of the rest of the country are under the strict control of the security forces".
"We are therefore able to counteract a project of destabilization of the entire sub-region, in front of which our countries are organizing themselves. We have the hope to make it fall through", said Fr. Dembele. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 05/02/2016)

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terrorism

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