(Adnkronos) – The alliance between the former rivals and former allies of the Jnim al-Qaeda members and the Tuareg independentists of the Azawad Liberation Front is advancing in northern Mali as part of the coordinated attack launched on Saturday against Bamako, the Kati garrison, those of Gao, Kidal, abandoned by Russian mercenaries and Malian soldiers who had regained control from the Tuareg in November 2023, Mopti and Sevare, in the center of the country.
In the attacks, Defense Minister Sadio Camara, considered the architect of the alliance between Bamako and Moscow, was also killed. Junta leader Assimi Goita, who took power in 2020 to fight Islamists, has not yet intervened publicly, leaving the floor to Russian allies who speak of a still difficult situation, denouncing that the rebels “are regrouping,” after the attempt to take control of key power sites in Bamako, including the presidential palace. Malian security sources told AFP that Goita does not want to take any risks precisely for security reasons.
“The military leadership is trying to learn lessons from the ongoing situation,” is all that is explained. The military has also withdrawn from Labbezanga, near the border with Niger, and from Ansogo. Last night, explosions were heard in the area of Bamako airport. Jnin and the Azawad Liberation Front redefined an alliance last year, while maintaining different objectives, in the name of a common enemy, the military junta and the Russians who support it.
