| Labbézanga | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
  LabbézangaLocation in Mali | |
| Coordinates: 14°58′10″N 0°42′16″E / 14.96944°N 0.70444°E / 14.96944; 0.70444 | |
| Country |  Mali |
| Region | Gao Region |
| Cercle | Ansongo Cercle |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
Labbézanga is a village in the Gao region of Mali located on the Niger River, bordering Niger.
Military history
The Malian Armed Forces operate a border post at Labbézanga.
Between June and August 2020, the French Armed Forces of Operation Barkhane erected a bastion fort in Labbézanga in a Vauban style. When it was first built, Le Figaro called the fortress "impregnable." The camp was shifted to the Malian Armed Forces on July 23, 2020.
2023 attack
Labbézanga is deep in territory controlled by the jihadist groups Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) and the Islamic State – Sahil Province (ISSP). The Malian military camp has been the target of many jihadist attacks, including one in July 2023 that injured a civilian. In early 2023, the Malian junta that took power in 2021 demanded the evacuation of MINUSMA by the end of the year. Around this same time, the Malian Army began cooperating with the Russian Wagner Group after the junta kicked the French of Operation Barkhane out a year prior.
Two attacks were launched by ISGS on December 3; one in Ménaka and one in Labbezanga. The attack in Menaka targeted the pro-government Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (MSA) and GATIA militias, and briefly ended after an hour of fighting. ISSP attacked the Malian fort at Labbezanga while fighting at Menaka raged, with the Menaka attack intended to divert Malian attention and forces away from Labbezanga. ISSP fighters seized weapons, ammunition, and fuel, and torched the camp before abandoning it.
Malian officials stated in a report that night that several dozen jihadists were killed and twenty were captured across both attacks, but these reports were unverifiable. In later reports, the Malian army stated it had conducted air and land counteroffensives against the group. RFI stated that between thirty and forty Malian soldiers were killed in the attack. The Malian junta denied the capture of the camp, but photos released by the Islamic State's Amaq News Agency showed the fighters capturing the base. The raid was likely the first confrontation between Wagner mercenaries and ISSP fighters since the mercenaries arrived in Mali earlier that year.
After the attack subsided, Nigerien soldiers from across the border visited the base to aid Malian soldiers.
Aftermath
On December 23, 2023, Malian colonel Ibrahim Samassa visited the camp at Labbezanga, which was repopulated by Malian soldiers led by Souleymane Dembele. Samassa congratulated the soldiers in defending the base after the attack on December 3. Malian counteroffensive operations were called Operation Moniko, and lasted from December 3 to January 25, 2024. Malian officials claimed that Operation Moniko killed sixty-five jihadists and arrested forty-two others.
In popular culture
Labbézanga is mentioned in the movie Sahara, based on the book by Clive Cussler. The two adventurers, Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino, stop at Labbezenga when they first enter Mali. It is described as one of the greatest ports in West Africa in the 19th century. The port is also a place of trade. Most of the villagers are fishermen, and the rest herd animals, such as goats.
References
- Elevation of the town
- Gerster, Georg (1986). Below from Above: Aerial Photography. Abbeville Press. ISBN 978-0-89659-602-3.
- Kelly, Fergus (July 19, 2019). "Mali: 'Terrorists' killed in French airstrike near Niger border". The Defense Post.
The soldiers had been part of a "logistical escort mission" from the border post of Labbézanga to Gao and were ambushed between Fafa and Bentia, a Armed Forces of Mali (FAMa) statement said
- ^ Newdick, Thomas (August 19, 2020). "The French Army Is Building Renaissance-Style Fortresses In Africa". The War Zone.
- "Mali: une forteresse inspirée du génie militaire de Vauban pour stopper le terrorisme islamiste". Le Figaro (in French). 2020-09-11. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- "Mali's Gao region, where Labbezanga is located, is a particularly violent site of the years-long conflict between the government, rebels, and Islamic militants". Committee to Protect Journalists via Twitter. April 5, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- AFP, Staff Writer With (2023-07-07). "Armed Attack on UN Convoy in Mali: Source". The Defense Post. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ "COMBATS AU MALI". Magazine Raids (in French). 2023-12-12. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ Studies, the Africa Center for Strategic. "Revue de presse du 4 décembre 2023". Centre d’Études Stratégiques de l’Afrique (in French). Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ "Ménaka, Labbezanga... cinq attaques jihadistes au Mali dimanche, plusieurs dizaines de soldats tués". RFI (in French). 2023-12-04. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ FRANCE 24 (2023-12-13). Sahel : apparition vidéo du chef d'Al-Qaïda et l’EI contrôle une base de l’armée malienne. Retrieved 2024-06-17 – via YouTube.
{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Bamada.net (2023-12-23). "Labbezanga : Le Commandant de la Zone de Défense N°1 sur le terrain". Bamada.net. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- msindebou (2023-01-26). "Voyages au nord du Mali : les escortes militaires « rassurent »". Studio Tamani - Informations, débats, magazines : toute l’actualité du Mali, en 5 langues (in French). Retrieved 2024-06-17.