A new Tuareg-led alliance in northern Mali known as the Azawad Liberation Front has reaffirmed its goal of separating from the Malian state and is waging a low-intensity campaign against the army and Russia-aligned Africa Corps, residents and security sources said. The coalition, unveiled on Nov. 30, 2024 after a meeting of northern factions, brings together elements of the former MNLA, HCUA, parts of MAA and GATIA and operates across Kidal, Gao, Taoudenit and Timbuktu regions, they said.
Fighting has flared periodically since last year’s battles around the Algerian border town of Tinzaouaten, where Tuareg rebels claimed to have inflicted heavy losses on Malian troops and Russian Wagner mercenaries—figures later folded into Moscow’s state-controlled Africa Corps. Rebels said 84 Wagner fighters and 47 Malian soldiers were killed; Mali acknowledged serious losses without giving a toll.
Russia says its Africa Corps remains active in Mali following Wagner’s announced drawdown this June, part of a broader security pivot with Sahel juntas. Analysts and Russian officials describe Africa Corps as largely staffed by former Wagner personnel under the Defence Ministry’s umbrella.
Mali’s junta in August 2024 severed diplomatic ties with Ukraine after Kyiv’s military intelligence publicly hinted at a role in rebel operations; Niger followed days later. Ukraine denied aiding “terrorist groups.” Independent confirmation of direct Ukrainian support to separatists is limited; Kyiv’s comments and regional reactions fueled the rift.
Claims that the Azawad alliance has recently used armed drones against Malian and Africa Corps positions have surfaced in regional outlets and on social media, reflecting a wider Sahel trend of non-state actors adopting cheap, weaponised quadcopters. These specific battlefield claims remain difficult to verify.
Bamako scrapped the 2015 Algiers peace deal in 2024 and has urged “inclusive dialogue,” but northern factions insist on self-determination for Azawad, a decades-old demand. The latest alignment under the Azawad Liberation Front followed the eclipse of the earlier CSP coalition.