Alghabass Ag Intalla is a Malian Tuareg politician and prominent leader of the High Council for the Unity of Azawad and the Coordination of Azawad Movements.
Alghabass Ag Intalla | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Representative of Kidal in the National Assembly | |
| In office 2002–2012 | |
| Secretary-general of the High Council for the Unity of Azawad | |
| Assumed office July 2014 | |
| Secretary-general of the Islamic Movement of Azawad | |
| In office January 2013 – May 19, 2013 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kidal, Mali |
| Relations | Mohamed Ag Intalla (brother) Attayoub Ag Intalla (brother) |
| Parent | Intalla Ag Attaher (father) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  MNLA (2012) Ansar Dine (2012-2013)Islamic Movement of Azawad (2013)  HCUA (2013-present) CMA (2016-present)CSP-PSD (2021-present) |
Biography
editAlghabass is the youngest son of prominent Ifoghas Tuareg amenokal Intalla Ag Attaher, and has two older brothers; Mohamed and Attayoub.[1][2] He was born in Kidal.[3]
Before the Mali War broke out in 2012, Alghabass was a deputy in Mali's National Assembly serving Kidal from 2002 to 2012.[4] Alghabass's initial political popularity that won him elections in 2002 shrank in 2007 and 2012.[4] When the rebellion began, he joined the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) but quickly switched to Ansar Dine.[5] In Ansar Dine, he claimed to fight to establish Sharia law in northern Mali.[6] Alghabass quickly became the face of Ansar Dine in political negotiations as the group's second-in-command, and represented the movement in negotiations in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in late 2012.[5][7] In January 2013, just days before the French intervention of Operation Serval, Alghabass left Ansar Dine and founded the Islamic Movement of Azawad (MIA), of which he was the secretary-general.[8] He announced the dissolution of the MIA in May 2013, joining the High Council for the Unity of Azawad founded by his brother Mohamed instead.[9]
Alghabass became the HCUA's secretary-general in July 2014, representing the group along with the Arab Movement of Azawad and the MNLA in negotiations in Algiers in 2014.[10] Following his father Intalla's death in December 2014, Alghabass was expected to succeed him as amenokal of the Ifoghas. This position was instead granted to Mohamed, who was preferred by Intalla before his death.[2] Ifoghas leaders appointed Mohamed for the role because of this, and despite Alghabass' charisma and activity within the Ifoghas community, his past in Ansar Dine could've swayed the decision by the leaders toward Mohamed.[speculation?][11][12]
On December 16, 2016, and in July 2022, Alghabass succeeded Bilal Ag Acherif as president of the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA).[3] Acherif and Alghabass took turns in the role for the next few months.[13] In 2018, it was speculated that Alghabass still was in contact with jihadist leader and former Ansar Dine compatriot Iyad Ag Ghaly.[4] In December 2019, Alghabass called for the different groups within the CMA to merge into one.[14]
In early 2023, tensions between Alghabass and Malian junta leader Assimi Goïta rose over the implementation of the Algiers Accords.[15] Under Alghabass' command, the CMA's groups merged into one entity, left the Algiers Accords, and launched an operation to combat the Islamic State – Sahil Province (ISGS) in northern Mali.[15] A major reason for tension with the Malian junta was the junta's alliance with the Russian Wagner Group, known for its killings of civilians in Mali.[16] Alghabass stepped down from the presidency of the CMA in 2023, which was then led instead by Ibrahim Ould Handa.[17]
Under Alghabass's administration of the Kidal region, the CMA was effectively a structured government operating under Islamic law with Islamic courts.[18] Alghabass was the one that signed a CMA statement implementing the qadis, or Islamic judges, which sparked controversy by critics claiming that the CMA and qadis were interconnected, which the CMA decried.[7]
Interviews and external links
editReferences
edit- ^ "Mali: le chef traditionnel des Ifoghas, Intalla ag Attaher, est mort". RFI (in French). 2014-12-19. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ a b "Mali : retour en cinq dates sur la vie d'Intalla Ag Attaher, aménokal des Ifoghas - Jeune Afrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ a b "Mali : dix choses à savoir sur Alghabass ag Intalla, incontournable chef touareg et président de la CMA - Jeune Afrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ a b c Thurston, Alex (2018). "Mali's Tragic but Persistent Status Quo" (PDF). Sahel Research Group. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ a b "Mali : Iyad Ag Ghali, rebelle dans l'âme - Jeune Afrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ "Rébellion touarègue : Gao, QG de l'armée et dernier rempart avant les combats au Nord-Mali - Jeune Afrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ a b "Traditional authorities in Mali: armed alliances and insecurity | The Status Quo Defied". www.clingendael.org. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ "Mali : scission au sein d'Ansar Eddine". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2013-01-24. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ "Mali: le Haut Conseil de l'Azawad met en place ses instances". RFI (in French). 2013-05-19. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ "Alger: autorités et groupes armés maliens entament les discussions". RFI (in French). 2014-07-16. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ "Mali: Mohamed ag Intalla succède à son père à Kidal". RFI (in French). 2014-12-27. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ "Mali: qui pour succéder à Intalla ag Attaher?". RFI (in French). 2014-12-19. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ Journal, Nordsud (2017-02-16). "Alghabass Ag Intalla : " les combattants qui s'engagent savent qu'ils peuvent mourir au combat. Ce ne sont pas des chômeurs que nous envoyons pour toucher un salaire"". nordsudjournal (in French). Archived from the original on 2017-02-17. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ "Dans le nord du Mali, un groupe armé appelle à l'union sous forme de mouvement politique". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2019-10-28. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ a b "Mali: Showdown between Assimi Goïta and Alghabass Ag Intalla threatens peace process". The Africa Report.com. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ "Mali's army and suspected Russia-linked mercenaries committed 'new atrocities,' rights group says". AP News. 2023-07-24. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ "Nord du Mali : dix choses à savoir sur Ibrahim Ould Handa, nouveau patron de la CMA - Jeune Afrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ "In Mali's Kidal, former rebels enforce law and order". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-01-29.