By Hannah Strange and Andrew Marszel
-Wreckage found near city of Gao, close to Burkina Faso border (click here)
-French president says no hypothesis ruled out as to crash cause
-Air traffic lost track of plane over Mali 50 minutes after takeoff
-Plane had rerouted due to heavy rains shortly before contact lost
-Flight AH5017 had 116 on board at time, including 51 French
-All six crew members were Spanish employees of plane owner Swiftair
GAO, Mali (AP) — Black-robed Islamic extremists (click here) armed with AK-47 automatic rifles invaded Gao in wooden boats Sunday to launch a surprise attack on the most populous city in northern Mali, two weeks after French and Malian troops ousted the jihadists.
Gunfire echoed for hours across the city of mud-walled buildings. The combat started at about 2 p.m. in downtown Gao and the fighting was continuing as night fell. Later the sound of gunfire was replaced by the clattering of French military helicopters overhead.
The attack in Gao shows the Islamic fighters, many of them well-armed and with combat experience, are determined and daring and it foreshadows a protracted campaign by France and other nations to restore government control in this vast Saharan nation in northwest Africa.
The Islamic radicals fought against the Malian army throughout the afternoon and were seen roaming the narrow streets blanketed in sand and on rooftops in the center of Gao, which had a population of 90,000 before the conflict caused thousands to flee....
We've seen this before in other areas of the world in order to demoralize the people. It is kind of a no brainer to seek control of people when their god is offensive to those with guns.
13 February 2014 – Some 90 per cent (click here) of the 11th century archaeological site of Gao Saneye in northern Mali was pillaged by Islamic extremists during their seizure of the region in 2012, traditional musical instruments and costumes were destroyed, and a World Heritage site mosque needs urgent repairs, United Nations cultural officials reported today.
The report on the damage to cultural heritage in the town of Gao, addressing both sites and the cultural practices of local people, follows a UN assessment last year of Timbuktu, another major heritage site in northern Mali, which found that damage there was more extensive than first estimated, including the destruction of parts of the 15th century Djingareyber Mosque, one of three madrassas comprising the University of Timbuktu.
“Concerning Gao's heritage, we must address the trauma experienced by the local population following violent attempts by the armed extremists to destroy their cultural identity and practices, including traditional music,” UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) country Director Lazare Eloundou Assomo said after visiting the city with Malian and international experts.
“Urgent measures are required to safeguard the Tomb of Askia World Heritage site before the next rainy season in June.”
The dramatic 17-metre-high pyramidal structure, built in 1495 by Askia Mohamed, Emperor of Songhai, which flourished in the 15th and 16th centuries through its control of trans-Sahara trade in salt and gold, is a fine example of the monumental mud-building traditions of the West African Sahel....
The French have been very active in containing the extremists. I would expect the French to enter Mali again if the investigators find any evidence of attack on the airline. The downing is tragic, but, illustrates the world is dangerous in the year 2014 for many reasons.
January 28, 2014
SEVARE, Mali – Residents of the northern Malian city of Gao (click here) are celebrating the arrival of French and Malian forces.
The French-led mission entered Gao over the weekend and took control of the airport and a major bridge and patrolled the town....
