Malian imam Mahmoud Dicko, an influential religious figure and outspoken opponent of the Bamako authorities, has joined a new coalition of political exiles calling for « resistance ».
Foreign intelligence services claim that the Algerian regime is unaware of Mahmoud Dicko’s ambitions, who seeks to establish an Islamic republic in Azawad in southern Algeria, with the support of the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (JNIM, affiliated with Al-Qaeda) and the Islamic State organization.
A secret document goes further, suggesting that jihadist groups might receive support from the Algerian military regime led by General Saïd Chengriha, and that this would occur without the approval of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
This support would allegedly come through a covert unit named « KL7, » composed of mercenaries and led by a former officer of Algeria’s special forces.
According to Ousmane Maïga, one of Dicko’s associates, “Imam Mahmoud Dicko has agreed to be part of the Coalition of Forces for the Republic (CFR), which has begun its activities”.
Having settled in Algiers since December 2023, Dicko has not returned to Mali. His prolonged stay in the Algerian capital has further strained relations between Algiers and Bamako, with the Malian authorities regularly accusing Algeria of fostering the “destabilization” of its territory and the Sahel countries’ alliance (AES).
In a statement signed by spokesperson Etienne Fakaba Sissoko, the CFR presents itself as a gathering of “vibrant forces, intellectuals, political actors, republican military personnel, social leaders, and diaspora members”, driven by the will to defend democratic resistance and national preservation.
Sources close to the matter claim that Mahmoud Dicko harbors ambitions related to the creation of an Islamic state in the Azawad region, a dream of a nation in the making, and another potential trap for Algeria.
Mali: Azawad State, a dream of a nation in the making, and the fragmentation of Algeria
