Mali rebels drop claim for independent state

[alp227]

Source: Reuters

Tuareg-led rebels who seized the north of Mali in April say they have dropped their claims for a separate state after the rebellion was hijacked by Islamists linked to al-Qaida.

The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and its former Islamist allies routed government forces in the west African country three months ago, taking control of a stretch of the Sahara larger than France.

But MNLA's declaration of independence has been largely ignored, and since then the movement has been sidelined by better-armed Islamist groups whose goal is to impose sharia law across the whole of Mali.

"We are seeking cultural, political and economic independence but not secession," said Ibrahim Ag Assaleh, a senior MNLA member. "It would be something like Quebec," he added, referring to the French-speaking province in Canada recognised as having a special status.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/15/mali-rebels-drop-independence-claim

[harmonicon]

1. Where are the US bombs?

What's that? Things like freedom, self-rule, and independence don't mean so much when there's nothing to be gained economically or politically from it?

[may3rd]

2. I would guess Chinese oil interests 'fixed" the problem without US blood for oil

China has many many oil interests in the dark continent

[happyslug]

3. US Air bases are to far away

Last edited Tue Jul 17, 2012, 06:24 PM - Edit history (1)

Libya was an easy target, its northern coast was well within range of US Air Bases located in Southern Italy and Sicily. The South of Libya was out of range but politically irrelevant compared to the coastal areas of Libya. Thus the fighting was along the coastal highway NOT the interior of Libya.

The above was true til the end, when Qaddafi retreated into the desert, but by then the war was over and well he retreated into an area the planes could not reach, he also retreated into an area were it was tough going for wheeled vehicles. Wheeled vehicles, even four wheel drive vehicles are restricted to the roads of the area, thus of limited maneuverability. All the roads go to the coast, so movement east and west is limited for wheeled vehicle south of the coastal area. Given the limited duration of tracked vehicles (less then 2000 miles before the track needs to be overhauled) without wheel support the tracks soon become useless. The area is to dry to support horse, so you have to use Camels and that put his forces at a severe disadvantage to the Rebels and thus Qaddafi's forces basically retreated to a safe haven and open negotiations (During that retreat Qaddafi was killed but his tribe survived and still a player in Libyan politics).

Now Mali is South of Algeria, it is in an area well away from any from any US air base. Without extensive areal refueling almost impossible to reach with Air power (The then via Algeria from the North, or from a carrier off the coast of one of the Gold Coast countries and then with that country's permission).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mali
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ml.html

Much like Southern Libya, the area is hard for trucks and tanks to operate in, trucks tend to be road bound (Mostly dirt roads with very limited "improvements" if any). Tanks are a maintenance headaches thus not used (Thus the fact Mail has only 33 T-55 tanks, and some of those 33 may be older T-54s or even WWII era T-34s). Thus the use of Horses and Camels are the main form of transportation (plus on foot) except on the limited number of roads. These roads are easy to block and best bypassed by camel, foot or horse (if tanks and other tracked vehicles are NOT available).

The size of the Army of Mali in limited:

It is organised into two tank battalions (T-55, T-54 and T-34/85, tanks, including possibly a light armoured battalion of PT-76's and Type 62 light tanks), four infantry battalions, one Special Forces battalion, one airborne battalion (possibly the 33rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, Djikoroni, in Bamako), two artillery battalions, one engineer battalion (34th), 2 AD artillery batteries, and one SAM battery.

The two tank battalions only add up to 21 T-55/54 AND T-34 tanks:
http://www.ukdf.org.uk/assets/downloads/fs30.htm

Through Wikipedia reports 33 T-55 Tanks:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_main_battle_tanks_by_country#M
http://dev.prenhall.com/divisions/hss/worldreference/ML/defense.html

Timbutu, is the largest city in the part of Mali in revolt, the largest city in Mali is the capital Bamako but it is located in the southwestern part of the country along the Niger River but just over the border from the rest of the Gold Coast (Nigeria to Senegal) of Africa.

Bamako:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamako

Timbuktu
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timbuktu

The roads follow the Niger River, i,e, West to East and to the North to Timbuktu, then south and East to Niger and then Nigeria. The area in Revolt is the area where trade from the Gold Coast of Africa went North to the Mediterranean Sea from ancient times till the Portuguese discovered how to said around the Northern part of Africa and reach the Gold Coast by Sea in the 1400s. Since the late 1400 it has been a back water (if you want to use that term for a desert area). Some trade from Tunisia, Algeria and Libya still occur, but even today the sea route is preferred. It is just to far away from anywhere.

Also the last report is there is little if any oil in Mali, so nothing to gain by taking it over.