Chief of staff of Arab Movement of Azawad: Morocco wants to foil Algerian mediation

In an interview with Echorouk, former colonel at the Malian army and chief of staff of the Mouvement Arabe de l’Azawad (MAA) Hussein Ould Ghulam talked about local and regional issues.

What is the MAA?

The MAA is a movement representing Arabs in Azawad where people have been marginalized since Mali got independent from France in 1960.

What are the areas you are dominating in the north?

The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad and our movement dominate more than 95 percent of our land in Northern Mali. Yet, I would have liked your question to be like this: how much does the Malian army dominate the land? This so-called army dominates Gao and Tombouctou. It was under the protection of French and African forces. Otherwise, it would not have stayed there even for 5 minutes.

We heard that there is a conflict inside the Arab movement between Ahmed Ould Beda and Ould Sidat’s wings. What are the reasons behind this conflict?

Unfortunately, there was a conflict but it was settled thanks to tribes’ notables.

It is said there are extremist Islamists among your military leading members.

We don’t have any extremist military soldier. Our camps are open to you and you can check that. We are moderate Muslims. Islam has been in our land for 14 centuries. We don’t need to be taught about it.

So, what about talks with the Malian government in Algeria?

I work in the military field and have nothing to do with politics. Still, let me say that there are regional parts which do not want the Algerian mediation to succeed.

What are those regional parts?

I mean Morocco firstly. There are other parts but I don’t want to name them at present. As far as we are concerned, we accept the Algerian mediation only because we believe that it is aware of our people’s sufferance.