| Country: | Mali |
| Details of Formation: | The government established the militia resembling the Janjawid militias, after the defeat of the Malian army in Kidal (northern Mali) and shortly before the commencement of the inter-Malian dialogue between Mali government officials and Tuareg rebels in Algeria. |
| Details of Termination: | -- |
| Purpose: | The PGM was a Tuareg self-defense militia that opposed the Tuareg rebels in the north fighting for the secession of Azawad. |
| Organisation: | The militia was supported by the government and was comprised of former military personnel. A general of the Malian army, Ag Gamou, had close ties to the PGM. However, there is no information on how the militia was specifically organized. |
| Weapons and Training: | No information. |
| Size: | No information. |
| Reason for Membership: | When the Malian army was defeated in 2014 by the separatist groups in the north, they aligned with fighters of the Imghad tribe, which also opposes the secession of Azawad. |
| Treatment of Civilians: | Militiamen detained and tortured suspected members and supporters of Islamist groups. (Human Rights Watch 2017a) |
| Other Information: | The connection between Gatia and the government is not officially acknowledged. Gatia is involved in fights between pro- and anti-government armed groups in northern Mali. In contrast to other Tuareg groups, Gatia is not demanding autonomy for the Azawad region. It is reported that Gatia has been very close to the general of the Malian army, Ag Gamou, who is also a Tuareg and a loyalist of the Malian state, and a member of the same community of the Imghads. The Imoghad tribes are considered among the most prominent Tuareg tribes in northern Mali. Nevertheless the Imghads officially completely reject the position of the group and support the main Tuareg separatist group the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA). |
| References: |
Human Rights Watch. 2016. “World Report 2016: Mali”. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2016/country-chapters/mali. Human Rights Watch. 2017a. “World Report 2017: Mali”. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2017/country-chapters/mali. Human Rights Watch. 2017b. “Submission for the Universal Periodic Review of Mali”. https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/06/30/submission-universal-periodic-review-mali. Information was taken from news sources listed in the PGMD. |