THE BATTLE OF TINZAWATINE – AZAWAD SUPPORT GROUP

THE BATTLE OF TINZAWATINE AND THE EVENTS THAT FOLLOWED.

AS TOLD IN THREE STORIES:

The Battle of Tinzawatine is a battle in which the revolutionary army of Azawad wrote history, and which brought a change, because it broke the myth of Wagner and brought hope and it also has brought a change of tactics. The battle of Tinzawatine was Wagner’s greatest loss on African soil.

They came from a distant and foreign land to invade a land that does not belong to them, to murder, torture, rob and terrorize … a people who had lived there since before colonization as peaceful nomads, who never disturbed anyone and who served as a security buffer in the great Sahara desert, between the peoples of the north and the south, the east and the west.

In July 2024, the Fama with the help of Wagner launched an attempt to conquer the village of Tinzawatine, a stronghold of the Azawad revolutionaries and a refugee village on the border of Algeria, because of its strategic location, its nearby mines and for politics and “glory”… but the Azawad army is fighting for a just cause which is the right to their land, they has been fighting against invaders and oppression since the 1960s and has nothing to lose.

The Battle of Tinzawatine began on July 25 and ended on July 27, 2024. Three days of intense fighting that ended in a resounding victory for the Azawadian army over the Wagner mercenaries and their complementary Malian army, many of whom according to several reports fled into the desert before the battle even began (leaving the Wagners alone to face the Azawadian army), and later ended up dead in the sand… because the Azawad desert is hostile to invaders. There are many pictures on the social media of these victims of the sand… (Fama soldiers who fled the battle) lying half buried in sand, dead.

And on one of the days of battle, out of nowhere, a sandstorm arrived and swept the combat zone and the CSP_DPA took advantage of it to get closer and coordinate an ambush of the Famas and Wagner soldiers. Because unlike the Wagners and the Famas, the Azawadians know their terrain and instead of paralyzing them, the sandstorm helped them. They finally managed to force them to go through a small passage. At that point, Islamist militants came on the scene and attacked from the other side.

Now, it must be made clear that the Islamists and the Azawadian revolutionaries are not affiliated, they only have a common enemy in the Wagner and the Famas. And given the situation, with the level of oppression and genocide, the revolutionary army must focus on its main enemy which is Fama and Wagner.

After the battle, there was also controversy over some elements that claimed victory, such as Ukraine and JNIM (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a branch of Al-Qaeda based in Mali). The JNIM terrorist group certainly has a common enemy with the Malian junta and Wagner, but they have their own contrary agendas that has nothing to do with that of the revolutionary army of Azawad, which is the independence of Azawad and the freedom of its people and nothing else. The victory of Tinzawatine belongs to the Azawadian army.

After the battle, photos and videos circulated on social media showing piles of dead mercenaries and some Malians, and some of them were taken as war prisoners. Unlike how we have seen Mali treat its prisoners (torture and starvation, seen in many videos and photos), the Azawad army follows international rules and the Geneva Convention of prisoners of war and treats them humanely and well, and still does, as these prisoners have not yet been exchanged or released.

Instead, we learn that some were put to work, like this man who was called “the king of thieves” after he was seen in a video stealing clothes from the poor in a shop in a village on his way to Tinzawatine. When they were captured after the battle, videos and photos were found in their pockets showing how they looted and terrorized innocent civilians. Most of the stolen items that were found belonged to women and children…

This man who is still a prisoner and apparently has been given a new name, “Tori”… was seen in a video trying to blame Wagner for everything and in another video after his capture, he had to shout the name “Azawad”… and he shouted loudly… And with that, he also became “infamous” on social media, so to speak. Unfortunately for him, he was clearly captured in these videos proving his guilt of stealing from innocent civilians, mostly women. From what we have heard, he now serves as a “chef” for the other prisoners, preparing their food.

Anyway, this thief should really humble himself and thank God and the Azawadian army for still being alive and even being treated so well that he is allowed to cook for the other prisoners. Putting them to work is the right thing to do. He will hopefully learn an important lesson from this: fighting the owners of the land is a great sin.

Wagner was filmed breaking into homes and robbing Azawadians on their way to the battle of Tinzawatine on July 23. A video was found on the phones of Wagner fighters who were later killed or captured during the battle of Tinzawatine (July 25-27, 2024), between the Azawadian army and the Wagner-backed Malian army.

This video was filmed in Bougassa on July 23, as they were heading to their defeat and death in Tinzawatine. It is worth noting that they also killed two civilians in Bougassa on the same day as they looted many properties, including those of women.

Robbing defenseless women… what cowardice! But they got what they deserved when they met the Azawadian army!✌️

Yes, Azawad belongs to the Azawadians! France stole it and colonized it, then didn’t give it back… how unfair! Instead, they served it on a silver platter to their created state which they called Mali, which immediately began to marginalize and oppress the original inhabitants, the Azawadians. The Tuaregs never accepted colonization and naturally rebelled, and who wouldn’t?

The Azawad army is brave, valiant and fearless. They fight for a just cause and know they are right. They have strong faith and good morals and are at home on their own land, knowing every grain of sand in this desert, which neither Mali nor Russia knows, invaders that they are, they have not lived there for thousands of years like the Azawadian people. The desert is not for everyone, does not belong to everyone and is not a refuge for everyone.

If you´re an invader with evil intent, you`re unwelcome, and the desert itself will spew you out.

The Azawadian revolutionary army were not those “undisciplined shepherds in sandals” as Wagner thought… they still call them “shepherds” but they clearly underestimated their opponent.

There is a difference between those who fight simply for money without morals and dignity and those who fight for a real, legal and just cause, and for the freedom of their land and their people. It is this determination and faith that makes a huge difference in morality. And a good dose of “warrior spirit” because the Touaregs have always been great warriors.

After this battle, Mali retaliated with cowardly drone attacks in Tinzawatine with drones sent from Burkina Faso as far as we know, killing several people, including many small children. They take revenge on the civilian population, including civilians who are from other neighboring countries and have nothing to do with the conflict between Azawad and Mali.

A photo that went viral on the social media, a injured child carried by his father. Injured by the drone strikes that hit in Tinzawatine. Many children died in those drone strikes. We wonder how much blood do the Fama and the Wagners have on their hands?

On 07/30/2024, Bayraktar TB² drone strikes carried out 5 strikes, including one on the Ekhariban refugee site, the other 3 on the Inatiyara gold mining site, #Kidal region, plus Nigerian gold miners from Maradi, Chadians and Sudanese killed and wounded and the 5th strike against an abandoned armored vehicle. The cowardice of these military forces preferring to attack defenseless civilians rather than confront the Azawad fighters (CSP-DPA) on the ground in a fair and courageous manner is appalling.

The Permanent Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad (CSP-DPA) condemned in the strongest terms the bombing carried out by Turkish drones by the Burkinabe authorities, which exclusively targeted civilians among the migrants working on the artisanal gold mining site of Tinzaouatine on July 30, causing dozens of deaths and injuries among the populations from Niger, Sudan, Chad and other countries in the West African region.

Then, on August 25, 2024, there were drone strikes on families in Tinzawatine in a refugee camp on the border with Algeria, causing 15 deaths, including 11 children! These victims had fled the abuses of the FAMa-Wagner couple and terrorist groups. They are real refugees and not terrorists disguised as refugees as some on the enemy side have claimed on social media. How can a 5-year-old boy or girl be a terrorist?

On 17-09-24, the terrorist group JNIM (operating under the aegis of Al-Qaeda) carried out a sudden violent attack on the Macina battalion at the headquarters of the Malian gendarmerie and at the Madibo Keita airport and destroyed several planes, including setting fire to the engines of the presidential plane, a well and destroying the interior of the airport building. They also caused the death of several gendarmes and a horrible video with burned bodies circulated on social networks. One may wonder how such a thing could have happened? What is this level of security? There was none.

But… it seems that the Malian putschist government and Wagner apparently took advantage of the chaos that followed (was it perhaps orchestrated?) where crowds of Malians burned people alive (mainly Fulani, but also Tuaregs) in the streets! Who does this? Who burns people alive in the streets? How barbaric is that? Shouldn’t we call them terrorists instead?

The Malian authorities apparently took advantage of this chaos to highlight that they are threatened by terrorism in order to solicit the support and sympathy of the international community, while continuing their tactic of massacring Azawadian civilians in the name of “terrorism”.

But here’s the problem: they were NOT targeting the real terrorists – those who carried out this attack on the airport and the gendarmerie – but instead they burned innocent people of certain ethnic groups alive. A genocide at work!

Then, a little later, a huge health crisis broke out with malaria and diphtheria caused partly by the unusually excessive rains over the Sahara and partly by the fact that the Malian government did not include any Azawadians in a preventive vaccination program (if there was one) and then an unknown disease appeared, strongly suspected to be the result of the chemicals used in the Turkish drones, also causing deformities in animals.

But aid and assistance to the sick Azawadians was not allowed by the Malian government, instead the poor people, many of whom lived in refugee camps, died in droves and the only noise around was the sound of shovels digging graves, every day! It seems that they took advantage of the situation to help their genocide, just as they did with the drought of the 70s (which is documented) when they let the Azawadians starve to death by refusing them any help.

AND THE FUTURE?

Azawad calls on the European Union to take a new look at Azawad and the Azawadians, a people who have been fighting for their freedom since France forcibly “married” them to Mali in the 1960s, a state with which they have never had anything in common, neither culturally, nor historically, nor religiously, and with which they were forcibly united without their consent. And which has done nothing to them other than bring them death and oppression.

The European Union will find with the Azawadians what they did not find with Mali, namely good collaboration and winning partnerships, security, mining interests and development. Mali can never guarantee anything in the Azawad region because the Azawadians will never stop fighting for their freedom. As long as Azawad is not independent from Mali, there will always be a war preventing any type of development.

Russia, with its criminal terrorist group Wagner, got a taste of the consequences of choosing the wrong side last July, when they suffered their biggest defeat in Africa and several senior Wagner members were also killed. After that battle, the Wagners mocked the cowardly and inadequate Malian junta on their Telegram channels.

THE CONVOY OF VENGEANCE – OR THE CONVOY OF EVIL.

Then we have the story of the “evil convoy”, as it was called on social media. This was a large convoy of about 60 vehicles from the Fama and Wagner that set off into the desert about a month after the battle of Tinzawaten, on their way to try to “retake” Tinzawaten once again in revenge for their defeat last time, and to try to recover the lost remains of their fallen soldiers.

The Malian convoy and its mercenaries drove for days, wandering in circles and between villages, killing people at random, destroying water tanks and wells. (What an “honor”……) In Inkrot, they rigged a water generator, causing an explosion on three children who had arrived there after the army had left. They also killed more than one person and took others with them.

And they went around in circles trying to find the remains of their fallen soldiers. Later, Wagner posted a statement on his Telegram pages to his followers, among them the families, relatives and friends of the fallen soldiers, in which they wrote that they had “successfully recovered all the bodies of their fallen comrades…

It turns out that the CSP-DPA army allegedly moved the bodies to place them far away right after the battle (on July 27) for a safe and decent burial. Which means that Wagner’s reports that “they managed to find them” are disputed. It has also been reported that the families and relatives of the fallen soldiers complained that the Wagner group never informed them of what happened to their family members.

The evil convoy circled for what seemed like an interminable time… before abruptly turning around and heading back towards Kidal, and this time, they went fast. And their every step was meticulously followed and well monitored by the forces of the Permanent Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad (CSP_DPA) who closely monitored their movements using satellites.

At one point, while they were en route to Tinzawaten, it seems that the Malian soldiers became a little paranoid in the night, firing blindly in all directions with their machine guns. Someone on social media wrote: “If the stars had not been as far as they are, they would have shot them all down”…

The shadows of the Azawadian army have eyes everywhere in the desert and they are the ones who are at home, they know the terrain, they know every corner of this desert.

The convoy truly lived up to their nickname the “evil convoy” by destroying and killing everywhere they went. No matter who, “anything that moves” seems to be the thing, as the Nigerians said after the drone attack on Nigerian and Chadian civilians.

The evil convoy spent a very long time traveling through the desert, looting and killing people here and there… then they came back, quickly.

They got absolutely nothing.

Nothing but killing children and people and practicing general terrorism in the villages they passed through.

FACTS, KIDAL VS TINZAWATINE FIGHTS

Kidal: On November 14, 2024, Wagner announced its takeover of the city of Kidal after an attempt of more than a month and a half to cover a distance of only 300 km between Gao and Kidal. The caravan left Gao, composed mainly of Wagner mercenaries and elements of the Malian army, accompanied by hundreds of armored vehicles and Turkish Bayraktar drones, as well as Russian Albatros drones from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

The Russian Foreign Ministry welcomed the takeover of Kidal by its mercenaries. Meanwhile, the Azawadian movements announced their withdrawal from the city for strategic reasons, including to avoid civilian casualties from the random airstrikes that began on November 7. A strike near a school killed 7 children and a teacher, while another strike killed 6 city figures.

Tinzawatine: In addition, on July 27, 2024, the Azawadian movements announced that they had repelled an entire convoy of the Malian army and Wagner mercenaries, resulting in the death of many soldiers and mercenaries, the destruction of more than 70 vehicles and armored vehicles, as well as the destruction of 2 helicopters.

“The morale of the Azawad fighters is very high, and what happened is a historic victory for the Azawad resistance against a force the size of Russia.” (Sayed Ben Bella Al-Fardi)

Source: X

According to reports, here is the toll:

From the Wagner militia:

90 dead
17 wounded
5 were arrested.

From the Malian army:

84 dead
35 wounded
9 prisoners

THE ARMY OF AZAWAD TREATS ITS PRISONERS WITH DIGNITY AND HUMANITY.

The Russian Wagner hostages of the battle of Tinzawatine are treated very well. Much more than they deserve, they who are murderers of innocents. The Azawadian Tuareg revolutionaries are truly dignified and humane. It is this humanity that honors the Kel Tamacheq/Tuareg. Pious men of tradition. The fight of the army of Azawad is for a noble cause and harming anyone is not an objective in itself for them.

A BANNER FOR THE HONORABLE MARTYRS OF THE BATTLE OF TINZAWATINE.

THE LIONS OF THE DESERT WHO GAVE THEIR BLOOD FOR THEIR COUNTRY AND PEOPLE, FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO BE ABLE TO LIVE IN PEACE ON THEIR LAND.

MAY THEY REST IN PEACE, MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON THEIR SOULS.

On November 10, a beautiful banner was hoisted in honor of the martyrs and with the names of the 19 martyrs of the battle of Tinzawatine.

“The problem is not in the fall of the castle. It is in not trying to recover it from the hands of the invaders. Even if the revolutionaries die, the revolution does not die in our hearts.” /Ag Bale.

In other words – They can kill the revolutionaries but they can never kill the revolution.

Azawad Support Group

22-11-24

Note: About the Tuaregs:

The Tuaregs or Kel Tamasheq (the people who speak Tamasheq) are a branch of the Amazigh people of North Africa (or Berbers as some call the Amazigh) and have long been known as great warriors and traders in the great Sahara Desert that has always been their homeland, and which stretched across parts of what is now Mali (northern part), Niger (north, northwest), Burkina Faso (northwest), Libya (southwest) and Algeria (south). Divided by colonialist borders!!

They are a noble and gracious people as well as brave fighters with a fierce reputation. They have always fought against colonialism and also against the imposition of a strict Islamic regime that is not part of their matriarchal culture.

They will never stop fighting for their freedom and the independence of their ancestral land, Azawad. But it is important to know that it is not only the Tuaregs who constitute the indigenous people of Azawad.

After this article, here is the second one on this page, written by Alyad Toumast:

THE BATTLE OF TINZAWATEN: THE SONG OF AZAWADIAN RESISTANCE

From July 25 to 27, on the burning sands of Tinzawaten, an epic blast crossed West Africa.

This isolated locality, nestled in the heart of the desert, was the scene of a decisive confrontation between the Permanent Strategic Framework for the Defense of Azawad (CSP-DPA) and a formidable coalition: the mercenaries of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, supported by the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) and international allies such as Niger, Burkina Faso, Turkey and Russia itself.

Yet, against all odds, this battle will remain in the annals as a resounding victory for the Azawad fighters, a demonstration of strength and bravery without equal.

An unequal battle, immeasurable courage against a heavily armed coalition supported by modern logistical and technological means, the warriors of the CSP-DPA, heirs to ancestral traditions and guided by their aspiration for freedom, transformed Tinzawaten into a symbol of resistance.

These men, “born with sand in their eyes”, used their perfect knowledge of the desert to inflict a bitter defeat on their adversaries. The strategy of the CSP-DPA was based on ambushes, lightning operations, and unfailing mobility, neutralizing the numerical and technological superiority of the enemy forces.

In this theater of operations, the desert was not an obstacle, but a weapon in the hands of these determined fighters. The losses suffered by the Wagner group were total: all their mercenaries were neutralized, with the exception of two prisoners of war.

Unlike the inhumane treatment reserved by the FAMa and Wagner for their prisoners, often innocent and defenseless, the CSP-DPA fighters respected the international laws of war. The two captives were cared for and fed, testifying to the humanitarian values that drive the free men of Azawad, even in the midst of adversity.

The atrocities of Wagner and the FAMa.

This resounding victory contrasts sharply with the documented war crimes committed by the FAMa and their Wagner allies. A video, which has been circulating on social media, bears witness to the atrocities of this coalition: Malian soldiers consuming human flesh and decapitating innocent civilians of the Tuareg, Arab, Fulani and Songhai ethnic groups. These acts, which constitute the worst violations of human rights, illustrate the brutality and inhumanity of their methods, intended to sow terror among the local populations.

These practices, worthy of the darkest ages, highlight the total disregard of these forces for the elementary principles of international humanitarian law. Where Azawadian fighters honor human dignity even in war, Wagner and the FAMa distinguish themselves by limitless barbarity, thus reinforcing the determination of the desert peoples to resist and free themselves from oppression.

A victory that transcends borders.

The victory of Tinzawaten is not limited to a military triumph. It represents the emergence of a political and identity force in a region torn apart by conflicts. It is the testimony of a people who refuse domination and claim their right to self-determination. For the Azawadians, this battle marks a decisive turning point in their struggle for recognition and justice. It demonstrates that even in the face of united regional and international powers, faith in a just cause can overturn the balance.

A lesson for the world.

The defeat of Wagner, a paramilitary group previously seen as invincible, and its allies, underlines the importance of determination and unity in a seemingly doomed fight. This battle reminds us that history is not written by the powerful, but by those who refuse to bow to tyranny.

For the men and women of Azawad, Tinzawaten will remain a cry of victory, a poem etched in the sand, testifying to their unparalleled bravery and humanity in the face of barbarity. The desert, silent witness to this epic, will sing the exploits of these free fighters for a long time to come. In the story of African struggles for emancipation, Tinzawaten is now a beacon, a guiding star for those who, like the sons of the desert, dream of a future where their dignity will never be compromised.

Alyad Toumast 22-11-24

A PHOTO GALLERY:

Russian prisoners of war Wagner, treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War, with humanity and dignity, as is proper. These prisoners are still in captivity and well treated.

Freedom fighters and independence fighters, fighting for the freedom of their people.

Prisoners of war, treated much better by the Azawadian army than they deserve, murderers and pillagers of civilians for money, as they are.

Malian militiamen Fama and Wagner, robbing the poor nomads of a village, they mainly robbed women and children, on their way to the battle of Tinzawatine which would become their death.

The face of an invader who came to kill the Azawadians on their own native land. Where is the courage or heroism to attack a people who only ask for freedom and respect on their land? The Wagners came to kill and rob them. What thugs are they?

The definition of humanism is the Azawadians, despite the wrongs these Wagnerian criminals have inflicted on the Azawadian population.

The determination for independence will never waver no matter what. The struggle continues! until Azawad is free and independent.✌️

Tinzawaten July 25-27, 2024

Images widely shared on social media. The faces of murderers and thieves, cruel barbarians, invaders of a land that is not theirs. Invaders who sold their souls for money. They came to torture and kill a peaceful people who have never done anything to them. A resilient people who have always stood up to resist, they will fight until justice and freedom are obtained.

And yet, they were treated humanely and according to international rules concerning prisoners of war by the Azawadian army, even though they killed, terrorized and tortured their people.

This is the very essence of dignity and high morals on the part of the Azawadian revolutionary army.

A mission of the Malian army and the Wagner militias are undressing Tuareg women in their homes in the bush 07/24/2024. Shame on them for terrorizing innocent civilians, and especially defenseless women and children. What cowardice!

The banner of honor and the names of the 19 martyrs of the battle of Tinzawatine.

Long live Azawad the fight for freedom continues!

Alyad Toumast

Finally, here is the third article, written by Azawad Freedom Voice:

A DETAILED REPORT ON THE BATTLE OF TINZAWATENE

In the Battle of Tin Zaouatine, which took place between July 25 and 27, a battalion of Russian Wagner Group forces stormed the Azawad army’s positions near the Algerian border.

The battle lasted three days, during which the Azawad forces demonstrated remarkable resilience and were able to completely eliminate the attacking convoy.

The battle resulted in the deaths of 84 Russian mercenaries and 47 Malian soldiers. This battle is considered one of the most remarkable battles of courage and steadfastness by the Azawad army against the Russian occupation and Malian militias, and it will remain a historical memory full of heroism.

Implications: The battle demonstrated the Azawad army’s ability to repel a complex attack by superior forces, strengthening its position in the resistance to occupation in the region.

The Future: The memory of this battle remains a testament to the Azawad people’s will to resist aggressors and will remain a nightmare for occupiers and enemies of freedom.

Ibrahim Sidibé (Ibrahim Touré) From a soldier and guide for Wagner to a prisoner who survived with Azawad morals.

Ibrahim, a soldier and guide for Wagner mercenaries, was responsible for crimes targeting innocent civilians in the Azawad region. Had he remained in his battalion today, he would have continued his crimes against the Azawad people, perhaps even going beyond what he had committed before.

But today, as a prisoner in the hands of the Azawadis, he should be grateful to God for treatment worthy of the morals and chivalry of the Tamasheq people. He did not face the same fate he inflicted on his victims; rather, he was treated in accordance with humanitarian principles and in accordance with international prisoner-of-war laws.

This is the difference between someone who fights with dignity and someone hired to kill.

#Voice_of_Freedom_Azawad

War is a matter of vital importance to the state.” “Know your opponent, know yourself, and you will not endanger your victory.” “Know heaven and know earth, and your victory will be complete.” “If you know neither your opponent nor yourself, in every battle you will be defeated.”

The Art of War
Sun TZU