The Agacher Strip War, also called the Christmas War, was a short border war between Burkina Faso and Mali, fought from 25 to 30 December 1985 over a strip of land about 160 kilometres long on the frontier in northern Burkina Faso. The dispute went back to the 1960s because the colonial border was never fully demarcated, and in 1983 both governments had already agreed to put it before the International Court of Justice. Tension rose in 1985 after a Burkinabé census in the border villages. On 25 December Mali attacked with tanks and aircraft and occupied most of the strip, while Burkinabé forces under Blaise Compaoré answered with guerrilla tactics against the Malian armour. An ANAD-brokered ceasefire took hold on 30 December, and in December 1986 the court divided the territory between the two states, a ruling both accepted. It is remembered as the only full-fledged interstate war over territory in West Africa since decolonisation.
Facts
Duration Band Classification
Death Toll Min Conflict Type Connections
Commanders and Forces
Source Blaise Compaoré (Wikipedia)
Source Burkina Faso Armed Forces (Wikipedia)
Fought In
Source Agacher Strip War (Wikipedia)
Source Agacher Strip War (Wikipedia)
Led By
Source Agacher Strip War (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Took Place In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject took place.
Source Agacher Strip War (Wikipedia)Lead, locationQuote, Lead, location
fought by Burkina Faso and Mali over a 160-kilometre-long (100 mi) strip of land along the border in northern Burkina Faso
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject took place.
Source Agacher Strip War (Wikipedia)Lead, belligerent countryQuote, Lead, belligerent country
fought by Burkina Faso and Mali over a 160-kilometre-long (100 mi) strip of land along the border in northern Burkina Faso
Sources
1. Agacher Strip War (Wikipedia)
Lead, dates
was a brief conflict fought by Burkina Faso and Mali over a 160-kilometre-long (100 mi) strip of land along the border in northern Burkina Faso from 25 to 30 December 1985.
Aftermath, Legacy
The Agacher Strip War remains the only full-fledged interstate war to be fought over territory in West Africa since European decolonisation.
War, casualties
Official statistics given list the casualties as 48 Burkinabé and 11 Malians killed.
War, ceasefire
On the morning of 30 December Burkina Faso and Mali agreed to an ANAD-brokered ceasefire.
Lead, duration
was a brief conflict fought by Burkina Faso and Mali over a 160-kilometre-long (100 mi) strip of land along the border in northern Burkina Faso from 25 to 30 December 1985.
Lead, location
fought by Burkina Faso and Mali over a 160-kilometre-long (100 mi) strip of land along the border in northern Burkina Faso
Lead, belligerent country
fought by Burkina Faso and Mali over a 160-kilometre-long (100 mi) strip of land along the border in northern Burkina Faso
Led By: Blaise Compaoré, War, western front
Captain Blaise Compaoré took command of this western front.
Fought In: Malian Armed Forces, Lead, Malian offensive
Malian forces launched an offensive on 25 December with aircraft and tanks.
Fought In: Burkina Faso Armed Forces, Prelude, Burkinabe units
In response, a few Burkina Faso Armed Forces units were sent into the three Burkinabé-administered villages.
View the SourceBurkina Faso Armed Forces (Wikipedia)
Commanders and Forces: Burkina Faso Armed Forces, Structure, Air Force, Agacher Strip WarQuote, Commanders and Forces: Burkina Faso Armed Forces, Structure, Air Force, Agacher Strip War
did see combat service in the Agacher Strip War in 1985
Blaise Compaoré (Wikipedia)
Commanders and Forces: Blaise Compaoré, Rise to power, 1983 coup and Agacher Strip WarQuote, Commanders and Forces: Blaise Compaoré, Rise to power, 1983 coup and Agacher Strip War
During the Agacher Strip War with Mali in December 1985, Compaoré commanded Burkinabé soldiers who split into small groups and employed guerrilla tactics against Malian tanks.
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