16 Nov 2023 | 12:44 AM UTC
Mali: Officials impose nightly curfew in Kidal Region effective through at least Dec. 14
Officials impose 20:00-06:00 curfew in Kidal Region, Mali, effective through at least Dec. 14 following military's capture of town of Kidal.
Officials have imposed a nightly 20:00-06:00 curfew in Kidal Region that is effective through at least Dec. 14. The curfew measures do not restrict the movement of security forces' vehicles and other equipment. The move comes after junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita declared that Malian forces had taken control of the town of Kidal Nov. 14.
Authorities will likely maintain a heightened security presence in Kidal Region, particularly in the town of Kidal, over the coming weeks. Security forces may set up checkpoints within and around towns in the region to enforce movement restrictions. Transport and business disruptions will almost certainly affect areas across the region during curfew hours. Demonstrations denouncing the curfew measures may materialize in some areas on short notice.
Exercise increased vigilance if operating in Kidal Region. Strictly heed all official directives, including the terms of the curfew order. Always carry proper identification; be polite and nonconfrontational if stopped at a security checkpoint. Allow sufficient time to be able to reach your destination before the start of the nightly curfew period.
The Permanent Strategic Framework (Cadre Strategique Permanent, CSP), a group of predominantly ethnic Tuareg armed groups, confirmed that its fighters had withdrawn from Kidal as of Nov. 14 "for strategic reasons" while asserting "the fight continues." The CSP's statement and Malian forces' reported capture of the town of Kidal on Nov. 14 followed days of fighting in the area between Tuareg fighters and Malian soldiers, supported by Wagner Group mercenaries, in the wake of the departure of UN peacekeepers from the region in recent weeks. Further armed clashes cannot be ruled out in the region over the short term.
Armed groups composed of predominantly Tuareg fighters had controlled the town of Kidal for years prior to Malian forces' recent capture of the town.
