The Malian army claimed it had regained full control of the situation on Saturday after coordinated assaults by Tuareg rebels and Islamist militants on several towns and cities across the country. The attacks targeted army bases in the north, center, and south, as well as a prison near the capital, Bamako.
The assaults involved the Tuareg separatist group FLA, which seeks an independent Azawad state in northern Mali, and JNIM, which aims to impose strict Islamic rule. The violence, along with attacks in April, underscores the immense security challenge facing Mali's military leaders, who seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021 promising to end what is now a decade-long insurgency.
The army reported attacks in Gao, a major city in the northeast; Aguelhoc and Anefis in the remote northern Kidal region; and Sevare, a central town with a large army base. Fighting also occurred near Kenioroba prison, about 60 kilometers southwest of Bamako. Residents in Gao heard gunfire and rockets near a military camp, while those in Sevare reported large explosions early in the morning, followed by aircraft overhead.
The FLA claimed its fighters entered Anefis and captured several army positions. A resident confirmed armed men were seen in the town and that soldiers were still fighting. By afternoon, the army issued a statement saying it had the situation "totally under control" nationwide and reported killing more than 20 attackers. However, rebels said fighting continued in some areas. Social media showed images of fighters' bodies and burned motorcycles at several locations.
Saturday's attacks followed a major coordinated offensive in late April by the same groups, during which rebels seized the northern city of Kidal and killed Defense Minister General Sadio Camara, a key figure in the military junta. Camara died in a coordinated assault involving a suicide car bomb at his residence in Kati, a garrison town near Bamako, followed by gunfire.
JNIM has also attacked fuel trucks heading to Bamako, causing shortages around the capital. The FLA and JNIM, previously at odds due to significant ideological differences, set aside their rivalries about a year before the joint April attacks. The repeated assaults have fueled concerns that Mali's junta is struggling to fully control large parts of the country and that its forces are overstretched.
Security has deteriorated since the coups, after which the junta turned away from French military support toward Russia and promised a return to stability. But analysts say the recent attacks show the rebels are bolder and more coordinated than before, highlighting the fragility of the junta's control.
Source: www.dw.com