Pro-Government Militias
Ganda Izo (Mali)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 493 |
| Country: | Mali |
| Date formed: | Jan. 1, 2006 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | This group is called an offshoot of Ganda Koy, both groups existed simultaneously. |
| Date dissolved: | Dec. 24, 2013 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | Date of termination is coded as the date of the firs elections after the conflict, when the government was again appointed via democratic elections. However, there is simply no information about any activity of the militia after the elections. |
| Termination Type(s): | change in government |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | yes |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | no | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | state (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | no |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | military |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic; ex soldiers |
| Primary Membership: | no information |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Mopti |
| Force Strength: | [800, 1300] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; ethnic group |
| Purpose(s): | protect national borders and integrity; fight insurgents |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | Tuareg (Mali) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | given |
| Ethnic Membership: | Blacks (Mali) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | given |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | given |
Other Information
| Other Information: | This group collaborated with and was supported by the military and since an interim government appointed and controlled by the military was in charge this group is coded as a PGM. Besides the Tuareg these groups also fought against Islamists, which occupied the North together with Tuaregs. During conflict Tuareg rebels started fighting on the side of the government against the Islamists. This did not seem to change the relation between the PGM and the Tuareg, since former refused talks about a more independent North. Gand Koy and Ganda Izo are told to be part of the Forces of Liberation of the North (FLN), however, it is not clear which other groups belong to the FLN and the groups themselves do not claim to be part on the FLN (name made up by media) |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The militia was founded in 2006 to fight the anti-government Tuareg rebels. It also fought against the Tuareg who claimed independence of Northern Mali in 2012. It was supposed to protect the integrity of the Malian state which is why the government aligned with the group. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | In 2008, the militia killed Tuareg civilians, which led to a split between civilians and the military faction of Ganda Izo. (Wikipedia; Human Rights Watch 2012) |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | The militia was made up of ethnic Songhais who opposed the Tuaregs. They were locally recruited in the Gao region and believed in an anti-Tuareg ideology. (Wikipedia) |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | The militia had about 1,300 members. (Wikipedia) |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | No information. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The group was divided into a civilian and military faction. The military faction was led by Sergeant Amadou Diallo until 2008. There is no further information on who led the group after him. (Wikipedia) |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.