Weekly Analyst Review

27 September 2023

Bottom Line Up Front

On 19 September 2023, PMC Wagner forces reportedly killed and beheaded JNIM militants on the RN16 road, between Gossi and Gao in the Timbuktu and Gao Regions of Mali. Video and images released showed at least five deceased.

This attack is undoubtedly served as retribution for the 14 September 2023 attack, when JNIM Militants led an ambush on FAMA and Wagner Forces in the same location, which left several Malian soldiers and one Wagner mercenary dead.

However, what makes this attack highly unusual is the nature of the attack.

For a group like Wagner that doesn't seem to play by anyone's rules, this is a new low for them and far from their mainstream tactics, which leads TRAC to believe that the beheading of the victims implies that this was highly personal or rage induced.

Aside from the brutality of the incident, JNIM militants have already commenced a propaganda campaign against Wagner for this attack. While Wagner has claimed that these victims were all JNIM militants, JNIM counters Wagner's claims by stating the victims were actually civilians staged by Wagner to look like JNIM militants. The truth may never be known, but the fact that Wagner has a well-known history of targeting civilians and justifying their attacks by claiming that their victims were actually JNIM militants cannot be ignored.

Other Developments

TRAC Insight:

Germany Bans Neo-Nazi ‘Hammerskins’ & 13 of its

Regional Branches in Germany

Hammerskins Germany serves as the German branch of the international extremist organization known as Hammerskins Nation, a neo-Nazi network initially established in the United States in 1986. This network has extended its reach across various European countries, including Great Britain, France, the Czech Republic, and Germany.

Their ideology espouses a white supremacist and racist worldview, promoting a violent “race struggle” to advance their perceived cause. The spread of their ideology is facilitated mostly through right-wing speed metal rock concerts, often organized discreetly and featuring like-minded bands. They also have been known to organize right-wing extreme martial arts events, such as the Battle of the Nibelungen. These events serve as a crucial channel for propagating and reinforcing their extremist beliefs, as well as financing their operations.

The German chapter of the Hammerskins has been in existence since 1991, resembling a tightly-knit hierarchy akin to motorcycle clubs, and is estimated to have about 130 members within its ranks, with notable activity clusters in Saxony, Bremen, and Bavaria, as reported by the Federal Agency for Civic Education.

The group has drawn the spotlight, particularly for the involvement of right-wing extremist figure Malte Redeker and some of its members having prior convictions for violent crimes and illegal possession of weapons. They are the prominent entity within the European right-wing extremist scene, as acknowledged by the German Interior Ministry, who recently banned the group.

Why were they banned?

The German Federal Ministry of the Interior banned Hammerskins Germany under association law, citing that "its purposes and activities contravene criminal law and are directed against the constitutional order and principles of international understanding."

The preparations for this ban had been in progress for over a year, involving collaborative efforts between federal and state authorities and cooperation with U.S. partner agencies. On 19 September 2023, police conducted raids on the homes of 28 Hammerskins Germany members across multiple states in Germany. These raids resulted in the seizure of assets, weapons, and various symbolic items associated with the right-wing extremist scene. Notably, the Jamel residences and properties of nationally recognized right-wing extremist figure Sven Krüger were also subject to search.

These recent legal actions have not only targeted the central Hammerskins Germany organization, but also its approximately 13 regional branches. This includes the Crew 38 sub-organization, an internal support network aiding Hammerskins members in legal conflicts.

TRAC Incident Report:

Joint Police/Military Operation Leads to the Capture of a

Member of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), Teluk Bintuni,

West Papua, Indonesia

Image of improvised rifles and cell phones seized in the operation.

On 24 September 2023, a joint security operation conducted by military and police forces in the Aroba sub-district, Teluk Bintuni Regency, West Papua province. The operation led to the arrest of Marthen Iba, a member of the separatist group known as Free Papua Movement (OPM). A search carried out following the arrest led to the seizure of three improvised rifles (ghost guns) and eight mobile phones. This operation comes after a shooting attack was carried out two days earlier on a military post in the Aroba subdistrict, resulting in no casualties among the Indonesian troops.

The fact that ghost guns were found in possession of the suspect, leads TRAC to surmise that a local arms manufacturer has been supplying OPM with untraceable weapons. The OPM group has recently changed tactics in an effort to obtain independence from Indonesia, shifting to a strategy of terror among the Papuan population by targeting construction workers, motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers, teachers, students, street food vendors, and commercial aircraft.

The latest attack on a civilian aircraft occurred on 22 September in the Bitang Moutains area and on 19 September, OPM threatened Papuan civilians with death in a warning against cooperating with the security forces and providing intel on the rebels’ movements.

As a clear message aimed at getting the attention of both security forces and Papuans, OPM militants recently executed a Papuan humanitarian activist, Michelle Kurisi Ndoga, accused of being a spy, in Lanny Jaya Regency.

TRAC Incident Report:

Houthis (Ansarallah) Organised a Military Parade and Renewed Their Threat Against Saudi’s Oil Facilities, in Sana’a, Yemen

On 21 September 2023, the Houthis (Ansarallah) organized a military parade in Sana'a, where they displayed ballistic missiles and armed drones. Mahdi al-Mashat, the leader of Yemen’s Houthi Supreme Political Council, and other high-ranking representatives of the group attended the event.

This military parade is the latest propaganda effort by the Houthis, aimed at showcasing their arsenal and military prowess. Notably, the event was organized just one day after the Houthi delegation returned from Riyadh following negotiations with Saudi and Omani officials, which commenced on September 14th. Although neither the Saudi nor the Houthi sides have publicly disclosed the outcomes of these discussions, this display of force has the potential to exacerbate already delicate relations between the two nations.

Furthermore, this marks the second incident reported this week in which the Houthis have exhibited their weaponry, indicating a clear intent to assert their power and augment their armaments. Just one day prior, TRAC reported on the Houthis’ utilization of an F-5 fighter plane, marking their first use of such aircraft since 2015.

On Our Radar:

TRAC Incident Report: Security Forces Clash with Militants of the Maute (ISEA) Group, Resulting in the Killing of One and the Injury of Three Others, Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur, Philippines

TRAC Incident Report: Unknown Lone Wolf Targets Cuban Embassy in the United States with Two Molotov Cocktails, Washington DC, District of Columbia, United States

TRAC Photo Report: Suspected Islamic State (IS) Militants Wrote

"Be Warned O Rawafids" Outside a House in

ad-Dawr Near Tikrit, Salahuddin Governorate, Iraq

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