Battle of Gao

Battle of Gao
Part of the Malian Civil War
Battle of Gao is located in Mali
Gao
Gao
Battle of Gao (Mali)

Above: Jihadists during fighting in the streets of Gao.
Date26–28 June 2012
Location
Result

Decisive Islamist victory

Belligerents

 Azawad

Islamists

Commanders and leaders
Azawad Bilal Ag Acherif (WIA)
Azawad Colonel Bouna Ag Tahib 
Azawad Machkanani Ag Balla
Azawad Colonel Wari Ag Ibrahim 
Mokhtar Belmokhtar
Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi
Abdelhamid Abou Zeid
Strength
140–2,000 500+
Casualties and losses
4 killed
10 wounded
40 captured[1][2]
36 killed
14 wounded[1][2]
35 killed overall, including 3 Niger fighters, and 41 wounded[1]

The Battle of Gao was fought between the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and the Islamist Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA), along with its ally Ansar Dine, in Gao between 26–28 June 2012.[1] By the 28 June, Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal, the three biggest cities in the disputed secessionist region of Azawad within what is recognised as Malian territory, were under the control of Ansar Dine and its Islamist allies.

Two days later, parts of the World Heritage Site of Timbuktu had started to be destroyed, amid condemnation by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Mali and France. This was followed by criticism within the region and internationally with Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suggesting it could send an armed intervention force into the country and the International Criminal Court (ICC) following Mali's lead in terming the acts as "war crimes." While MNLA also criticised the Islamists for holding civilians and destroying the structures, Ansar Dine said that the destruction was due to violation of sharia (their Najdi interpretation) and in reaction to UNESCO's labeling of the sites of Timbuktu and in Gao as "in danger."

  1. ^ a b c d e "Mali: au moins 35 morts dans les affrontements islamistes/Touareg à Gao" (in French). Agence France-Presse. 30 June 2012. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Islamists seize north Mali town, at least 21 dead in clashes". Archived from the original on 5 December 2012.