Tuareg separatists and jihadist fighters have taken control of the northern Malian town of Kidal following coordinated attacks on military positions, dealing a fresh blow to the country’s embattled junta.
Sources close to local authorities, along with residents, said Malian troops and their Russian allies withdrew from the town after two days of intense fighting.
“We’ve left Kidal. It’s now under the control of the jihadists and the FLA,” a source linked to the governor told AFP.
The offensive, launched at dawn on Saturday, targeted multiple locations across Mali, including areas near the capital, Bamako. The scale and coordination of the attacks have raised fresh concerns about the military government’s grip on power.
The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), which is pushing for independence in northern Mali, claimed it now has “total control” of Kidal — a strategic and symbolic stronghold.
The town has long been at the centre of Mali’s conflict. It remained under rebel influence for years before government forces, backed by fighters from the Wagner Group, recaptured it in November 2023 — a victory that was widely celebrated at the time.
Now, that gain appears to have been reversed.
In a brief statement on state television, the army chief described the withdrawal as a “readjustment” and said troops had been redeployed to nearby areas, including Anefis, about 100 kilometres away.
But on the ground, the reality looks more like a retreat, underscoring the growing security challenges facing Mali’s military rulers.
