A Tuareg-led separatist alliance says it has seized full control of the northern Malian city of Kidal, openly acknowledging coordination with an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group in a development that underscores the deepening fragmentation of Mali’s conflict.
The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) announced late Saturday that its fighters had taken “total control” of the strategic desert city following a coordinated offensive. The group claimed only a “small residual pocket” of resistance remains, made up of Malian troops and Russian-linked fighters entrenched in a former UN base.
Bamako swiftly pushed back on the narrative.
Authorities said armed attacks struck multiple cities across the country — including the capital, Bamako — but insisted security forces had repelled the assaults, neutralised attackers and restored control. Officials reported at least 16 people wounded in the violence.
“At present, the situation is totally under control,” the government said, urging calm while praising the military response.
Open coordination with JNIM
In a notable admission, the FLA said its Kidal operation was carried out “in partnership” with Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda-linked coalition long active across the Sahel.
The group described a broader campaign targeting military positions, including in Gao, framing the offensive as part of a wider push to consolidate territorial control across northern Mali.
The acknowledgment highlights the increasingly blurred lines between separatist movements and jihadist factions in the region — a dynamic that has repeatedly undermined efforts to stabilise Mali.
Competing claims, no verification
The FLA portrayed its advance as a “liberation” effort aimed at securing the Azawad region and enabling the return of displaced populations, while accusing Malian forces and their Russian allies of abuses.
It also called on Moscow to reconsider its backing of Mali’s military leadership, describing authorities in Bamako as an obstacle to any viable political settlement.
There was no immediate independent confirmation of the group’s claim to control Kidal.
Strategic vacuum deepens
Kidal has long been a flashpoint in Mali’s north, where separatists, jihadists and state forces have competed for control for more than a decade.
The withdrawal of the UN’s MINUSMA mission has left key infrastructure — including former bases — exposed, fuelling a scramble among armed actors to fill the vacuum.
Saturday’s events point to a rapidly shifting battlefield, with alliances of convenience and overlapping agendas continuing to redraw the map of northern Mali.