Attack in Bamako, clashes between the army and terrorist groups… What is happening in Mali?

Significant Fighting Erupts in Mali, Including Capital Bamako

• Major clashes are underway on Saturday, April 25, near several major cities in Mali, including the capital Bamako.
• According to authorities, “terrorist groups” and Tuareg rebels are currently engaging the army.

A series of coordinated offensives. Major clashes are ongoing this Saturday, April 25 in Mali. The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), affiliated with Al-Qaeda and considered the “most significant threat in the Sahel” by the UN, claims a series of coordinated attacks with the Tuareg rebellion. It declares a “victory,” stating it is “the result of hard work,” coordination with its “partners,” and “thanks to the active participation of our brothers from the Azawad Liberation Front” (FLA, Tuareg rebellion). “Together we are undergoing a real transformation, in service of religion, country, and people,” it asserts.

Several Cities Have Fallen

Fighting has spread to several major cities in the country and extends to the outskirts of the capital Bamako. The key city of Kidal, in northern Mali, previously captured by regular forces in late 2023, has fallen. “The city of Kidal is under the control of our armed forces,” writes the FLA group, a merger of several dominant Tuareg groups, in a Facebook post. “Our FLA troops control Kidal, most of Kidal. The governor of Kidal has taken refuge with his elements in the former Minusma camp,” declares its spokesperson, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane. The JNIM describes “a successful operation carried out against the Malian army and Russian mercenary forces with the participation of our FLA partners.”

Additionally, the army has reportedly lost “complete control of the city of Mopti (center)” and “most of (its) strongholds in Sevare (center) and Gao (north).”

Severe Security Failures in Bamako

According to Charlie Werb, an analyst from consulting firm Aldebaran Threat Consultants (ATC), “we are facing a vast coordinated offensive across the country at an unprecedented level since 2012, when the government lost half of the country.” “There have been serious security failures in Bamako,” he affirms. “JNIM and FLA have launched coordinated attacks in Mali. Many positions of the army and the Africa Corps (Russian paramilitary organization) continue to be targeted in Kati, Kidal, Sevare, and Gao,” adds Hasret Kargün, Africa researcher at intelligence firm Mintel World.

Mali has been plagued by conflicts and violence from jihadist groups, communal criminal groups, and separatists since 2012. Following two coups in 2020 and 2021, the country came under the authority of a military junta supported by Russian militias. This regime led to the withdrawal of French troops, deployed to combat the Islamic State in the region.