Illustrative image.
The separatist Tuareg Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) have gained control of a key military camp in the north of Mali.
Thousands of militants from the two groups launched a coordinated large-scale offensive across the Sahel country the past week, attacking the capital, Bamako, in addition to several key cities, including Sevare, Gao, and Kidal.
The Tessalit military base immediately came under attack, but Malian troops and forces from the Russian African Corps completed their withdrawal from there on May 1. The FLA took over. No clashes were reported amid the withdrawal, which was likely a tactical maneuver to prevent encirclement and preserve personnel for a counterattack.
The camp served as a strategic base due to its geographical location and featured a well-maintained airstrip capable of accommodating military aircraft.
Meanwhile, along the Niger river valley, Malian troops and Russian forces continue to conduct patrols and organize ambushes. An attack on the town of Gourma-Rharous was also repelled.
In the south of Mali, strikes increased. Several field camps and supply bases of radicals in the vicinity of Bamako were targeted, which thwarted the JNIM plans to destabilize the capital region. The group had vowed to impose a tight siege on the capital.
Military commanders took power in Mali after coups in 2020 and 2021, vowing to restore security in the country where militants control large areas in the north and center.
Under the leadership of Gen. Assimi Goita, Mali moved away from France, and built strong relations with both Russia and Turkey. The military government has been also pursuing closer ties with the United States.
The ongoing offensive by the FLA and JNIM is clearly meant to weaken Russia’s influence in the country. Russia, however, stressed that it won’t be withdrawing. The militants have clearly lost momentum, and a serious counteroffensive could reverse all of their gains.
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