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The Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) have regained full control of the key town of Anéfis in Mali’s northeastern Kidal region, with direct support from the Russian Africa Corps.
The separatist Tuareg Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) launched a large-scale offensive on July 4, claiming to have seized Anéfis. However, the militants failed to capture a nearby military camp, where Malian and Russian troops held out.
Anéfis, located approximately 100 kilometres from the regional capital of Kidal — currently held by the militants —, was retaken by FAMa forces and the Africa Corps in a rapid counteroffensive launched from Gao. A convoy of dozens of vehicles, backed by air support, set out from the major city, reaching the town despite rebel attacks along the way.
In the days leading up to the counterattack, the FLA and JNIM suffered heavy losses from Malian and Russian strikes, with reports of hundreds of militants killed and several senior commanders either killed or wounded.
“Air-ground operations made it possible to secure the route and the convoy’s entry into the town, despite several skirmishes and ambushes carried out by armed terrorist groups,” the FAMa said in a statement, claiming to have neutralized “nearly a hundred” fighters.
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesman for the FLA, acknowledged the withdrawal, telling AFP that his forces had “decided to leave Anéfis for strategic reasons and to avoid civilian casualties.”
The defeat in Anéfis was undoubtedly a major blow to both the FLA and JNIM, and the two groups are unlikely to recover anytime soon.
This setback could drive a wedge between them. Significant differences already exist: JNIM seeks to replace state authority with a strict, conservative interpretation of Islamic law, while the FLA was founded by several Tuareg movements demanding independence or autonomy for Azawad.
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