Militant fighters affiliated with Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), alongside their Tuareg separatist allies from the Azawad Liberation Front, have intensified their assault throughout northern and central Mali. Recent reports indicate violent incidents in key locations including Gao, Anefis, Aguelhok, and Sevare, as well as an attack on a prison in Kenieroba.
This surge in violence, echoing similar attacks from April, underscores the daunting security challenges currently faced by Mali’s military leaders. These leaders orchestrated coups in 2020 and 2021 with pledges to quell a prolonged uprising that has lasted over a decade. The recent hostilities follow the groups’ earlier successful seizures of vital army bases and the strategic town of Kidal, heightening fears for the junta’s grip on the nation.
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The ongoing assaults raise alarms about the junta’s capability to maintain control in substantial regions of the country. Security conditions have notably worsened since the coups; thereafter, the junta pivoted from reliance on French military aid towards Russian support, all while vowing to restore stability.
