Azawad Movement Spokesman to Echorouk: “Military Coup in Mali was expected”

Chaos that would be brought by the new armed troops is more dangerous than tension in the north of Mali, Spokesman of the Azawad movement, Hama Ag Sidahmed, told Echorouk.

“The statement of the coup leaders and their  – indirect – attacks against the Touaregs is an evidence that the relationship with the new Mali system will not change and will not reach‬ ‭negotiations” ‭, he added. ‬

Did ‭ ‬you expect a ‭military ‬coup in ‭Mali? What is your interpretation ‭ ‬for its implementation ‭a few days before ‭the end of Amado era ‬and the impossibility of his candidacy legally?

 The military coup in Mali was not programmed but it was expected in view of the catastrophic social situation and injustice, in addition to the Tuareg rebellion in northern Mali, which caused heavy losses to the Malian army , and put the government into a dilemma making it unable to control the situation. Especially as those who joined the Army ‭ had a basic goal which ‭is ‭improving their living conditions‭  through  incentives and‭ ‬ Monthly wages ‭ ‬, in light of‭ ‬ the poverty ‭and ‭corruption which erodes the country, making them ready to die to defend their homeland ‬‭. ‬

 ‬You ‭are‬ accused of worsening the security situation ‭in ‭Northern Mali ‭and trying‭ ‬ to postpone the ‭elections using armed  confrontation ‭since ‭two months.‭ ‬What is your comment?

The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad called upon Bamako to negotiate many times, and I met last November with officials and warned them at the time of the consequences of neglecting the situation in Mali. But they were not expecting danger, despite our confirmation that the situation is more dangerous than they think, we asked them to negotiate with the Tuaregs to prepare ground for the election, but the president and his entourage refused our demand, therefor, a confrontation flared between the army and Tuaregs and the situation get worse in the north. Accordingly, the military coup was not a surprise, because we know very well the situation at home and even at the level of Mali bad relations abroad ‭. ‬

‮ = ‬To what extent ‭the coup leaders would stand before ‭the‭ International ‭pressure,  ‬ especially ‭after ‭condemnation of the neighboring ‭countries, including‬ Algeria which declared ‭ ‬  the closure of its borders?

Algeria is right in its position of the military coup that we also reject it. We did not wish for because it will increase the worsening of security situation and will launch a series of conflicts and complex confrontations. But in my opinion the coup leaders would resist and launch a series of arrests. The president is protected by the paratroops and will try  to retrieve the power ‭and arrest some‭ ‬ministers ‭. ‬We condemn the coup.Algeria ‭fears ‭the void with Mali to secure the borders ‭. ‬

 Will your movement launch a truce with the‭ new system in  Mali after Army ‭confirmed ‭ ‬ the ‭unification of ‭soil ‭in its statement yesterday?

That military statement is weird, they announced their policy of ruling the country while they did not yet got full power to govern.Especially in light of international pressure and stopping humanitarian aid to population and their insistence on the protection of northern Mali after thwarting the resistance there, this is not reasonable in the current circumstances. They were the forerunners to draw a relationship with Azawad movement ‭ ‬ hours ‭ ‬ after ‭ ‬ the coup, ‭so ‭ ‬ confrontations will continue ‬without a truce.  We‬ understand ‭ ‬ Algeria’s position which‬ ‬wishes ‭security ‭ and peace inMali, and we hope it will‬ ‭ ‬ understands ‭our demands,  including the right to‭ self determination.