Mali is reeling from a series of devastating attacks on army bases over the weekend that killed Defense Minister Sadio Camara, his wife, two children, and an unknown number of others. Intermittent explosions continued around Senou International Airport south of the capital Bamako late Monday, according to reports.
At least 16 people were injured in the coordinated offensives, which began Saturday, by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and secessionist fighters from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). Videos showed scores of fighters on motorcycles riding with little resistance into cities across northern and northeastern regions: Kidal, Gao, Sevare, Kati, and Bamako.
The FLA is fighting for self-determination in northern Mali, a region known as Azawad, which was declared autonomous during the 2012 Malian civil war. The roots of the independence movement date back to the early 1900s, when ethnic Tuaregs began agitating for an independent state. After French colonizers left in 1960, demands intensified.
In January 2012, a new wave of attacks by Tuaregs and armed groups ignited the civil war. The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and Ansar Dine seized vast northern territories and declared Azawad's independence on April 6, 2012. However, Ansar Dine and its al-Qaeda allies eventually hijacked the rebellion.
France deployed 4,000 soldiers in 2013, and a fragile peace deal, the Algiers Accords, was signed in 2015. JNIM formed in 2017 from four al-Qaeda-aligned groups. After a military coup in 2020, French troops withdrew and Russian Wagner mercenaries arrived. UN peacekeepers left in 2023.
Bamako tore up the Algiers Accords in January 2024 and launched offensives against JNIM and Tuareg positions. In November 2024, the Azawad Liberation Front was formed. The FLA and JNIM now cooperate against the government. In July 2024, Tuareg rebels attacked a convoy of Malian and Russian fighters. This weekend's attacks mark the first official coordination between JNIM and the FLA.
The FLA claims control of Kidal, a Tuareg stronghold. The fate of military government leader President Assimi Goita is unknown; he has not been seen since Saturday.
Source: www.aljazeera.com