In Mali, Colonel Houssein Ghoulam joins the Jnim (Support Group for Islam and Muslims). Until now, he was chief of staff of the Arab Movement of Azawad (MAA), one of the groups that make up the CSP (Permanent Strategic Framework) rebellion. Jnim, linked to al-Qaeda, formalized its rallying Monday in a press release. A hard blow for the rebels, who are trying to reorganize after their defeat last November against the Malian army and its Wagner auxiliaries.
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The Jnim describes it as “ seasoned military leader » and greets his “ commitment » « against Malian and Russian aggression “. Colonel Houssein Ghoulam, who was a member of the Malian National Guard before joining the independence rebellion in 2012, is now fighting with the jihadist group linked to al-Qaeda. Chief of staff of the Arab Movement of Azawad, Colonel Ghoulam was also the commander of the eastern sector of the Timbuktu region for the CSP rebels. “ He left alone with his equipment and a car », assures a source within the rebellion. Other sources claim that a significant number of fighters followed him, which the Jnim press release does not mention.
“Easy to replace”
Several CSP executives recall in any case that Colonel Ghoulam is not his first change of heart. In 2018, he abandoned his military functions within the rebel coalition, while retaining those he occupied in the MAA. One of them even describes him as “ weathercock “. “ We have no shortage of military leaders » adds a CSP manager, “ it will not be difficult to replace “. Another member of the rebellion specifies: “ he has not fought since the battle of Ber », his stronghold, near Timbuktu, last August. “ His departure will have no effect on us », sweeps this source.
Subsequently, on Tuesday March 12, the CSP made a series of appointments within its military system: new zone commanders were thus assigned to all regions of the North. A reshuffling of forces which did not “ nothing to do with the departure of Ghoulam », Specifies a member of the rebellion.
Reorganization
Yet the defection seems like a blow to the CSP rebels, who are currently trying to reorganize and whose leaders have repeatedly said their war is not over. From the defeat of the CSP in Kidal four months ago, facing the Malian army and the Russian Wagner group, the rebels no longer carried out any action on the ground. Unlike the Jnim jihadists, who are increasing deadly attacks against Malian forces.
“ There is nothing new or surprising, estimates a Malian security source in Bamako. Many former rebels have gone underground with the terrorists “. For this source, as well as for other informed observers, the appeal of Jnim in the eyes of certain rebels is all the stronger as the CSP currently seems dormant, at least from a military point of view.
To date, it is impossible to know how many fighters could have left a weakened rebellion to swell the ranks of the jihadists. It should be noted that this is the very first time that Jnim has communicated about such a rally.
Differences and porosity
The passage of Colonel Houssein Ghoulam from the CSP to Jnim demonstrates in any case that, contrary to the discourse of the Malian transitional authorities, the rebel groups and the jihadist groups are indeed distinct. In the past, there have been deadly clashes between them, with the MNLA in particular paying a heavy price against al-Qaeda fighters.
But this transfer also reminds us that the porosity between some of these groups, often pointed out, is not a myth. And that the current context could encourage other fighters from armed groups in the North, signatories of the now buried 2015 peace agreement, to change their tune.
Today, the objectives of the rebel and jihadist groups remain different, but their main enemy is the same: the Malian army and his Wagner substitutes. To which we can add the rival jihadist group: the EIS (Islamic State in the Sahel). After a few months of calm, fighting between Jnim and ISIS resumed last weekend in Malian Gourma, near the border with Burkina Faso.
“The rebellion has not regained the initiative and the fighters want to fight”
Malian researcher Boubacar Ba, specialist in armed groups in the Sahel, directs the Analysis Center on Governance and Security in the Sahel (CAGS) in Bamako. He analyzes for RFI the rallying of Colonel Ghoulam to Jnim.
RFI: What are the reasons that could explain this change of camp by Colonel Ghoulam?
Boubacar Ba: The first reason is linked to the defeat of the rebellion in November 2023. The Malian armed forces were able to take Kidal, the rebellion did not regain the initiative, and the fighters want to fight, like Ghoulam! So, he found himself in a situation where he thinks that by joining the Jnim, he could get a new place. The second reason is that he himself had links with Jnim for several years. I think he used all his means to re-engage in this new posture as a member of Jnim, to be able to carry out operations on the ground.
Do we have an idea of the number of fighters who, like Colonel Ghoulam, have left the CSP rebellion to join the Jnim jihadists in recent months?
We don’t have an exact idea. It’s not a massive number, that’s clear, because the rebels are in the process of organizing and consulting. But we will have to analyze and see in the days to come the extent of this number (of fighters, Editor’s note) who is in the process of joining the Jnim.