2021 in Mali explained

See also: 2021 in West Africa.

Events in the year 2021 in Mali.

Incumbents

• President

Bah Ndaw (interim)

• Prime Minister

Moctar Ouane (acting)

• National Committee for the Salvation of the People

• • • • Chairman: Colonel Assimi Goïta Spokesman: Colonel-Major Ismaël Wagué

Events

Ongoing — COVID-19 pandemic in Mali and Mali War

January to March

• January 1 – Six people, including former prime minister Boubou Cissé are charged with an “attempted coup”.^[1]
• January 2 – Two French soldiers are killed in Ménaka Region.^[2] Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claims responsibility.^[3]
• January 3 - Mali wedding airstrike: France says it neutralized dozens of jihadists in an airstrike but people in the town of Bounti in Mopti Region, say that twenty wedding guests were killed by a low-flying helicopter.^[4]
• January 13 – Three U.N. peacekeepers from the Ivory Coast are killed by an Improvised explosive device (IED) on the road between Douentza and Timbuktu. Six others soldiers were wounded.^[5]
• January 20 – Police use tear gas to disperse 1,000 protesters against the 5,100 French military forces in the county.^[6]
• January 24
  • Six soldiers are killed in two coordinated acts in Boulkessi and Mondoro, Mopti Region.^[7]
  • Fulani herdsmen and Dogon farmers sign a third humanitarian agreement to end fighting in Koro, Mopti Region.^[8]
• January 25 – U.S. Navy SEAL Tony DeDolph is sentenced to ten years of prison for murdering U.S. Army Green Beret Logan Melgar while serving in 2017 in Mali.^[9]
• January 31 – Three hundred British troops with 60 light vehicles join 14,000 United Nations peacekeepers under Chinese command. This is a different mission from the French mission that is supported by 90 British troops and three Chinook helicopters.^[10]
• February 10 – Twenty United Nations′ peace keepers are wounded in attacks by rebels in Douentza.^[11]
• February 25 – Nine soldiers are killed and nine wounded in an attack in Bandiagara, Mopti.^[12]
• March 30 – A United Nations investigation by the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA) finds that a 3 January French military airstrike on the village of Bounty, hit a wedding group largely made up of civilians, leaving 22 people dead, including 19 civilians.^{[13] [14]}

April to June

• April 1 – The remains of Béatrice Stöckli, a Swiss missionary in Timbuktu, have been identified. She was captured by kidnapped by jihadists in 2016.^[15]
• April 2 – Four Chadian soldiers are killed and many more are wounded when their base is attacked by jihadists in Aguelhok, Kidal.^[16]
• May 6 – The Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security, and Development (CSP-PSD) is formed, as an alliance between the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) and Platform of June 14, 2014 Algiers movements (Platform).^[17]
• May 6 – Halima Cissé, 25, gives birth to nine babies, which is probably a world record.^[18]
• May 21 – Interim President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane are reported to have been arrested by the military and taken to a military base in Kati. This follows the detection of an increased military presence in Bamako.^[19]
• May 24 - Armed forces of Mali overthrows incumbent Mali President Bah N'daw from his office and strips multiple high ranking officials from their power.
• June 3 – The French Ministry of Armed Forces suspends combined operations between the French and Malian Armed Forces under Operation Barkhane following the second coup d'état in Mali within nine months.^[20]
• June 7 – Assimi Goïta is sworn-in as President of Mali after the recent coup d'état, which was considered a "coup within a coup" after Goïta, who directed the 2020 coup, carried out another coup and arrested the leaders that were in charge after the 2020 coup.^[21]
• June 25 – Fifteen German United Nations peacekeepers are injured in a car bomb attack at their base in Tarkint, Gao, Mali.^[22]

July to August

• July 4 – Four Malian soldiers are killed in an ambush on their patrol. No group claims responsibility for the attack, which comes as France resumes joint military exercises with members of the Malian Armed Forces, which had been suspended following the coup d'état this year led by Colonel Assimi Goïta.^[23]
• July 9 – Operation Barkhane: French President Emmanuel Macron announces that he will reduce the presence of troops in the Sahel to between 2,500 and 3,000 over the long-term, and will also close bases in Timbuktu, Tessalit and Kidal in northern Mali, as part of a reorganization effort to focus on missions in the Malian, Nigerien, and Burkinese border regions.^[24]
• July 17 –Three Chinese nationals and two Mauritanians are abducted at gunpoint from a construction site in Kwala, Mali.^[25]
• July 20 – A knifeman wounds Malian President Assimi Goïta in the arm at a mosque in Bamako. The perpetrator is arrested, and the attack is described as an assassination attempt.^[26]
• July 25 – The man who tried to kill Malian President Assimi Goïta with a knife at a mosque in Bamako six days ago dies in custody. The cause of death is unknown.^[27]
• August 8 – At least 51 people are killed as Islamist militants storm three villages in central Mali, near the border with Niger. It is one of the deadliest recent terror attacks in the country against civilians.^[28]
• August 19 – Jihadists ambush a convoy in Mopti, killing 11 soldiers and wounding 10 others. A roadside bomb hit the convoy, and gunmen then opened fire.
• August 26 – Former Prime Minister of Mali Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga is arrested accused of corruption for his involvement in the purchase of a presidential plane in 2014.^[29]
• August 27 – Former Mali leaders Bah Ndaw and Moctar Ouane are released from house arrest by the junta who removed them from power in May.^[30]

September to October

• September 5 – Members of Mali's police Special Anti-Terrorist Forces (Forsat) stormed a prison to liberate detained commander Oumar Samake.^[31]
• September 12 –Five Malian soldiers are killed in an ambush by "an as yet unidentified armed terrorist group" in the Macina Cercle of the Ségou Region, according to the army.^[32]
• September 14 – France says that a planned deal between Mali's military junta led by Assimi Goïta and the Wagner Group to bring Russian private military contractors into Mali was "incompatible" with the current French military presence.^[33]
• September 24 – A French serviceman, Maxime Blasco, is killed in a shootout with jihadists in a forest near Mali's border with Burkina Faso. The gunman who shot Blasco was also killed during the clash, according to the Ministry of Armed Forces.^[34]
• September 25 – Mali recruits Russia's PMC Wagner Group to fight Islamic terrorism in the country, according to a news outlet citing Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov.^[35]
• September 28 – Mali accuses France of "abandoning the country" by reducing its forces in the fight against jihadist groups. In response to the remarks, France accuses Mali's military junta of "wiping their feet on the blood of French soldiers".^[36]
• September 29 – Five Malian gendarmes are killed and four others are wounded in an ambush on a convoy escorting mining equipment to the Australian-owned Morila Gold Mine in Sikasso Region. Jihadist group Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin claims responsibility for the attack.^[37]
• October 2 – A United Nations peacekeeper is killed and three others are seriously injured when an IED detonates near where they were patrolling in the volatile north of the country, near the border with Algeria.^[38]
• October 6 – A battle between jihadists and Malian forces in the central Mopti Region leaves at least nine soldiers and 15 insurgents dead. The mayor of the nearby town of Bankass says that up to 16 soldiers were killed in the attack.^[39]
• October 9 – A Colombian Roman Catholic nun who had been kidnapped in Mali near the border with Burkina Faso in 2017 by the Macina Liberation Front is freed. The nun is photographed with Malian President Assimi Goïta as the government refuses to state if any ransom was paid for her release.^[40]
• October 19 – Defence minister Sadio Camara asks Mali's main Islamic body, the High Islamic Council, to mediate peace talks between the government and the local branch of al-Qaeda, Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin. The move is strongly opposed by France.^[41]
• October 25 – The Malian interim government gives the country's ECOWAS representative 72 hours to leave Mali over "actions incompatible with his status", though the government added that they still maintain a "willingness to work together with ECOWAS in the transition".^[42]
• October 29 – Two employees of the Canadian mining company Iamgold are reported missing following an attack on their convoy in Burkina Faso while travelling to Essakane.^[43]
• October 30 – Seven soldiers are killed in two separate attacks on patrols in Mourdiah.^[44]
• November 11 – Malian Foreign Affairs minister Abdoulaye Diop says that Mali "may ask Russia for help" due to the country's security situation, with Diop also saying that "the very existence of the Malian state is under threat".^[45]
• December 3 – Mopti bus massacre: Militants attack a bus carrying civilians in Mopti Region, killing the driver, before setting it on fire and killing 31 passengers. The majority of the victims are women who were on their way to work at the local market.^[46]
• December 5 – Militants bomb two UN camps in Gao, with no fatalities.^[47]
• December 30 – Jihadists ambush an army patrol near the town of Nara in Koulikoro Region, Mali, killing four soldiers and injuring more than a dozen others.^[48]

Deaths

• 2 January  - Modibo Keita, politician, Prime Minister (b. 1942).^[49]
• June 5 – Bayes Ag Bakabo, alleged terrorist and drug dealer; killed during military action^[50]

See also

• African Continental Free Trade Area
• COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
• Organisation internationale de la Francophonie
• Economic Community of West African States
• Community of Sahel–Saharan States

Notes and References

1. News: Mali charges prominent figures with 'attempted coup' . February 28, 2021 . aljazeera.com . Al Jazeera English . January 1, 2021 . en.
2. News: Two French soldiers killed in Mali: French presidency . January 3, 2021 . aljazeera.com . Al Jazeera English . January 2, 2021 . en.
3. News: Al-Qaeda branch claims killings of French soldiers in Mali . January 5, 2021 . aljazeera.com . Al Jazeera English . January 5, 2021 . en.
4. News: France says kills dozens of Mali jihadists, villagers say wedding party hit . January 6, 2021 . news.yahoo.com . AFP . Yahoo News . January 5, 2021.
5. News: Three Ivorian UN peacekeepers killed in Mali attack . January 13, 2021 . msn.com . AFP . January 13, 2021.
6. News: Malian police disperse protest against French military presence . January 20, 2021 . news.yahoo.com . Reuters . Yahoo News . January 20, 2021.
7. News: Six Malian soldiers killed in 'complex and simultaneous' attacks . January 26, 2021 . aljazeera.com . Al Jazeera English . January 24, 2021 . en.
8. News: Ethnic groups in central Mali sign 'three peace agreements' . January 27, 2021 . aljazeera.com . Al Jazeera English . January 27, 2021 . en.
9. News: Navy SEAL gets 10 years for his role in Green Beret's death . January 27, 2021 . AP NEWS . 25 January 2021.
10. News: Nicholls . Dominic . British troops in Mali are being commanded by a Chinese officer it emerges, as first patrol on UN mission is completed . February 1, 2021 . news.yahoo.com . The Telegraph . January 31, 2021.
11. News: Twenty U.N. peacekeepers wounded in central Mali attack . February 11, 2021 . news.yahoo.com . AFP . February 10, 2021.
12. News: Nine soldiers killed in central Mali attack . February 28, 2021 . aljazeera.com . Al Jazeera English . February 26, 2021 . en.
13. News: Pujol-Mazzini . Anna . UN accuses France of possible war crimes over Mali air strike on wedding . March 30, 2021 . news.yahoo.com . The Telegraph . March 30, 2021.
14. Web site: 2021-03-30. UN investigation concludes French military airstrike killed Mali civilians. 2021-05-25. UN News. en.
15. News: Swiss hostage in Mali: Remains of missionary identified . April 1, 2021 . news.yahoo.com . BBC News . April 1, 2021 . April 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210402185235/https://www.yahoo.com/news/swiss-hostage-mali-remains-missionary-162121991.html . dead .
16. Web site: Four peacekeepers killed in northern Mali attack: UN . 2022-09-19 . www.aljazeera.com . en.
17. Web site: Mali : Les mouvements armés du nord créent le "Cadre stratégique permanent" . 2023-09-03 . www.aa.com.tr.
18. Web site: Malian woman gives birth to nine babies . BBC News . June 10, 2021 . 2021-05-06.
19. News: Lewis . David . 2021-05-24 . Military detain Mali's president, prime minister and defence minister . en . Reuters . 2022-09-19.
20. Web site: Welle (www.dw.com) . Deutsche . Mali: France suspends joint military operations DW 03.06.2021 . 2022-09-19 . DW.COM . en-GB.
21. Web site: Welle (www.dw.com) . Deutsche . Mali: Assimi Goita sworn in as transitional president DW 07.06.2021 . 2022-09-19 . DW.COM . en-GB.
22. Web site: Car bomb wounds at least 13 UN peacekeepers in Mali . 2022-09-19 . www.aljazeera.com . en.
23. News: 2021-07-04 . Mali says four soldiers killed in ambush by suspected militants . en . Reuters . 2022-09-19.
24. Web site: France to pull more than 2,000 troops from Africa's Sahel region . 2022-09-19 . www.aljazeera.com . en.
25. Web site: Gunmen kidnap Chinese, Mauritanian workers in Mali . 2022-09-19 . www.aljazeera.com . en.
26. Web site: Mali interim president says he is 'very well' after knife attack . 2022-09-19 . www.aljazeera.com . en.
27. Web site: Man accused of trying to kill Mali president dies in custody . 2022-09-19 . www.aljazeera.com . en.
28. News: 2021-08-09 . At least 51 killed in Mali village raids, district official says . en . Reuters . 2022-09-19.
29. News: 2021-08-27 . Mali's former prime minister arrested over corruption claims . en . Reuters . 2022-09-19.
30. News: 2021-08-28 . Mali's former interim president and PM released from house arrest . en . Reuters . 2022-09-19.
31. News: Mali police storm jail to free detained commander. BBC News . 5 September 2021 . 6 September 2021.
32. Web site: Insurgents kill 5 soldiers in central Mali . 2022-09-19 . www.aa.com.tr.
33. News: 2021-09-15 . France criticises deal bringing Russian mercenaries into Mali . en . Reuters . 2022-09-19.
34. Web site: 2021-09-24 . French soldier killed in Mali in clash with armed terrorist group . 2022-09-19 . France 24 . en.
35. News: Nichols . Michelle . 2021-09-26 . Lavrov says Mali asked private Russian military company for help . en . Reuters . 2022-09-19.
36. Web site: 2021-09-28 . Mali accuses France of abandoning country by reducing troops fighting jihadists . 2022-09-19 . Channel 4 News . en-GB.
37. News: 2021-09-29 . Five gendarmes killed in attack on mining convoy in Mali - army . en . Reuters . 2022-09-19.
38. Web site: 2021-10-02 . UN peacekeeper killed in blast in Mali's troubled north . 2022-09-19 . Dhaka Tribune.
39. News: 2021-10-06 . Islamist militants kill at least nine Malian soldiers . en . Reuters . 2022-09-19.
40. News: 2021-10-10 . Colombian nun held hostage in Mali since 2017 has been freed . en . Reuters . 2022-09-19.
41. Web site: Mali asks Islamic body to open negotiations with al-Qaeda . 2022-09-19 . www.aljazeera.com . en.
42. Web site: 2021-10-25 . Mali expels West African bloc representative . 2022-09-19 . The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News . en-US.
43. News: 2021-10-30 . Canadian mining firm Iamgold convoy attacked in Burkina Faso . en . Reuters . 2022-09-19.
44. News: 2021-10-31 . Seven Mali soldiers killed in separate convoy attacks: army . en . Reuters . 2022-09-19.
45. News: 2021-11-11 . Mali says it may ask Russia for 'help' given current security situation . en . Reuters . 2022-09-19.
46. News: 2021-12-04 . Mali: Dozens of civilians killed after militants attack bus . en-GB . BBC News . 2022-09-19.
47. Web site: Twin Explosions Rock UN Camps in Mali . 2022-09-19 . VOA . 5 December 2021 . en.
48. Web site: Four Soldiers Killed in Mali Attack . 2022-09-19 . VOA . 30 December 2021 . en.
49. Web site: Ex-Malian PM Modibo Keïta dies at 78 . africanews.com . 2 January 2021 . 2 January 2021.
50. Web site: French army kills Mali jihadist linked to journalist murders . www.msn.com . AFP . June 11, 2021.