Mali town at heart of July battle hit by disease and drone strikes

By Abdollah Ag Mohamed

TINZAOUATEN, Mali (Reuters) - Residents of Mali's northern town of Tinzaouaten, caught in the crossfire of a fierce July battle between Tuareg rebels and the army backed by Russian mercenaries, now face disease outbreaks and drone attacks, prompting many to flee to Algeria.

Tuareg rebels are in control of the town in Mali's vast northern desert, and security-related roadblocks have hampered access to supplies such as bed nets and medicines needed to combat outbreaks of diphtheria and malaria.

"In Tinzaouaten, here, we lack almost everything... Almost everything is closed on us... The medicines have not arrived in Tinzaouaten and now that the roads are closed, no organisation has come to help us," said resident Ibrahim Ag Tambarayraye.

Multiple drone strikes since the July conflict have killed dozens of civilians, including children, doctors and residents in the border town near Algeria, told Reuters.

Dire conditions have been made worse by severe flooding due to a heavy rainy season across the Sahel region of West Africa, which forced Mali to declare a state of national disaster in August and delay the start of the academic year.

Moussa Bagayoko, a doctor based in Tinzaouaten, said the town was suffering an epidemic of diphtheria, a severe bacterial infection, as well as an uptick in malaria cases.

"Malaria is a particular feature of this year's situation, with many patients presenting with severe anaemia, and a large number being admitted in a state of altered consciousness, raising suspicions of neuro-malaria," he said.

Diphtheria cases had caused a "very high number" of deaths and vaccinations against the disease were needed, as well as anti-malarial medication, he said.

Separatist groups from northern Mali, largely dominated by ethnic Tuaregs, launched a rebellion against the government in 2012, which was later hijacked by Islamist groups linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State.

A 2015 peace agreement between the government and rebels collapsed in July, triggering the renewed fighting.

Now, many of Tinzaouaten's residents are joining others from across northern Mali who are fleeing north to Algeria.

Village chief Rhissa Ag Aharib said tens of thousands of displaced people from the regions of Menaka, Kidal and Gao have passed through Tinzaouaten and the surrounding areas since the July battle between rebels and the army supported by Russian Wagner mercenaries.

Herder Rhissa Ag Mohamed, who was staying in a displacement camp on the outskirts of Tinzaouaten, said he came from the town of Ansongo, hundreds of kilometres to the south.

"I left the region of Gao, looking for peace; I am fleeing Wagner and the Malian army," he said.

(Writing by Portia Crowe; Editing by Bate Felix and Ros Russell)