The year-long siege of Marébougou village and its environs by Jama'at Nasr al-Islam Wal Muslimin (JNIM) is about to end, as the Donso militias have agreed to surrender their weapons.

Recall that the Malian Government had requested the help of Donso militias, as mercenaries to fight JNIM terrorists but there were allegations that they were abandoned to their fate, in the middle of the resultant cross fire. 

Although local peace treaties like these are usually as a result of the absence of a bigger and better effort, it surely provide local populations with at least a temporary respite from violence. 

The challenge is such arrangements tend to be fragile and difficult to sustain on the long run. This has been the case in both Mali and Burkina Faso as well as in other neighbouring war-torn Countries.  

Locals are apprehensive of the truce because broken agreements and ceasefires have been followed by even more deadly cycles of violence. 

These agreements are often preceded by intense violent coercion. This suggests that they are best understood as a non-violent way for militants to achieve their goals by building legitimacy and trust and filling the role of governance actor. 

A general drift toward disengagement by the states and incoherence within the French-led counter-terror alliance have provided an opening for the JNIM and other terrorist groups to continue their expansionist agenda in the region.

Reuters say the number of militants killed in offensive military operations from early 2020 to June, 2021 in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger is estimated at over 1,400.

However, the increasing influence of jihadist groups and the strong resurgence of militant activities demonstrate the limitations of such a measure to gauge effectiveness and success. 

The over-focus on the Liptako-Gourma tends to lead to the neglect of many other areas where jihadist militant groups are increasingly entrenched or expanding their offensives.

Instead, the jihadist groups target their local opponents such as the VDP, Donso, Dana Ambassagou, other militias, or the communities these groups claim to represent. 

The rampant displacement and humanitarian crisis further show that conditions are far from being alleviated. JNIM, in particular, has shifted gears to exacerbate the situation in Mali.  

The militants are notorious for increasingly employing tactics which includes mass atrocities, forced displacement, and public executions. It has also recently begun to implement its version of governance through harsh justice by amputating thieves’ hands. 

This occurred in May 2021 at the weekly market in the village of Tin-Hama in Mali. There were also isolated and unconfirmed reports of such in other places. 

Although, no one is certain how this new purported truce will end, locals are obviously ready to give peace a try, as all parties seem interested in putting an end to the bloodshed. 

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