Since Monday, photos and videos from Tinzaouatine have been circulating on social media. They show injured persons and gunfire can be heard. These images also show a barbed wire fence, installed to secure the border between Algeria and Mali, in this desert zone where the jihadist threat is present.

It is this fence that is at the origin of a demonstration: people tore down the barbed wire. Indeed, a resident of Ikhraben, on the Malian side, explains that this separation installed about a month ago has already been denounced by civil society to the authorities in Tamanrasset. He adds that populations move back and forth on both sides of the border, and that this barrier prevents them from doing so. For its part, the Algerian press also cites a problem of access to a water source.

Gunfire from Mali according to the Algerian army

In a statement published Monday by the Algerian Ministry of Defence, the army denies opening fire. The authorities cite an attempt to damage the security wall, carried out by individuals known for their smuggling and organized crime activities.

"Unknown gunfire was fired from Ikhraben in the direction of our border guard positions, injuring one individual in the crowd," the text states. The army has ordered an inquiry to clarify the circumstances of this incident.