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
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Mali War
, partof = the Islamist insurgency in the Sahel and the War on terror
, image = MaliWar.svg
, image_size = 380
, caption = Military situation ...
.
Formation
The Ganda Koy movement was founded in May 1994, by Seydou Cissé, as a response to rising tensions between Tuaregs and sedentary black tribes of the
Gao Region
The Gao Region ( Bambara: ߜߊߏ ߘߌߣߋߖߊ tr. Gao Dineja) is a region in northeastern Mali. The capital city is Gao.
Geography
The region is bordered to the north by Kidal Region, to the west by Tombouctou Region and Taoudénit Region, to ...
, in northern Mali. Ganda Koy fighters were recruited among
Songhai,
Bambara,
Fulani
The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people ( ff, Fulɓe, ; french: Peul, links=no; ha, Fulani or Hilani; pt, Fula, links=no; wo, Pël; bm, Fulaw) are one of the largest ethnic groups in the Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. ...
,
Bozo
Bozo or bozo may refer to:
People
*Bozo people, a fishing people of the central Niger delta in Mali
** Bozo language, languages of the Bozo people
* Frédéric Bozo, history Professor at the University of Paris III: Sorbonne Nouvelle
* Bozo Mille ...
and Tuareg-Bella tribesmen.
Ganda Koy immediately rejected the “National Pact” for peace signed in April 1992.The movement then embraced a racist anti-Tuareg ideology, in response to what it perceived as Tuareg oppression.
[
Ganda Koy later transformed into Ganda Iso, which is seen as its direct successor.]
Touareg Conflict
In 1994, Ganda Koy actions amounted to 60-300 deaths.[
In 2008, a Ganda Iso military leader, Sergeant Amadou Diallo, conducted a "broad daylight massacre" where four Tuareg civilians were killed. This resulted in a split between Diallo and the civilian leadership of the movement.]Ansongo
Ansongo is a rural commune and small town in the Gao Region of eastern Mali. The town lies on the left bank of the Niger River 90 km south of Gao. It is the administrative center for the surrounding Ansongo Cercle. The commune covers an ar ...
, in a battle against MNLA rebels on 25 March 2012.Douentza
Douentza (Fulfulde: ''Duwayⁿsa'') is a town and urban commune in the Mopti Region of central Mali. The town lies 145 km east-northeast of Mopti on the RN16, a paved road that links Mopti and Gao. It is the administrative center of the Do ...
, in the Mopti Region, until then controlled by Ganda Iso, is taken without violence by the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa
The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (abbreviated MOJWA) or the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (abbreviated MUJWA; ar, جماعة التوحيد والجهاد في غرب أفريقيا ''Jamāʿat at-tawḥīd wal-jih ...
.[{{cite news, title=Mali: des islamistes à la lisière Nord-Sud, accessdate=13 January 2013, newspaper=Le Figaro, date=1 September 2012, url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2012/09/01/97001-20120901FILWWW00429-mali-des-islamistes-a-la-lisiere-nord-sud.php]
References
Azawad
Political movements in Mali
Rebel groups in Mali