Ganda Iso
| Ganda Iso | |
|---|---|
| Leaders | Seydou Cissé Amadou Diallo |
| Dates of operation | 2009–present |
| Active regions | Mali |
| Allies |  MaliGanda Koy Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa |
| Opponents |  National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad |
Ganda Iso, or Ganda Izo, meaning "Sons of Land", is a paramilitary group which emerged in Northern Mali in the early 21st century and has been active during the 2012 Northern Mali Conflict. Their main opponents are various Tuareg secessionist groups such as the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad.[2] Some of its fighters are Songhai.[2] It was active in the Gao Region of Mali.[2]
Ganda Iso is seen as the successor of Ganda Koy.[3]
In August 2010, Ganda Koy founder Seydou Cissé says in the Bamako newspaper L'Indépendant that he created Ganda Iso in 2009 for the goal of "maintaining social stability in the region".[3]
In 2008, a Ganda Iso military leader, Sergeant Amadou Diallo, conducted a "broad daylight massacre" where four Tuareg civilians were killed. This resulted into a split between Diallo and the civilian leadership of the movement.[3]
Amadou Diallo was reportedly killed in Ansongo, in a battle against MNLA rebels on 25 March 2012.[3]
On 1 September 2012, the town of Douentza, in the Mopti Region, until then controlled by Ganda Iso, is taken without violence by the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa.[4]
References
- ^ Mali's Self-Defense Militias Take the Reconquest of the North Into Their Own Hands Refworld.org (Jamestown Foundation), 10 August 2012
- ^ a b c Mahjar-Barducci, Anna (6 July 2012). "MNLA: The Fight For A Secular State Of Azawad – Part II: Fighting Terror In The Sahel". Inquiry & Analysis Series Report No.854. Middle East Media Research Institute. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
- ^ a b c d McGregor, Andrew (20 April 2012). ""The Sons of the Land": Tribal Challenges to the Tuareg Conquest of Northern Mali". Terrorism Monitor Volume: 10 Issue: 8. Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
- ^ "Mali: des islamistes à la lisière Nord-Sud". Le Figaro. 1 September 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2013.