Fighting between Mali’s military junta and rebel forces continued into Sunday after heavy clashes began on Saturday, prompting calls for stronger regional security coordination. UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern about the reports of attacks across the country, condemned the violence, and urged international partners to help protect civilians, infrastructure and meet urgent humanitarian needs in the Sahel.
The weekend violence began when Tuareg separatists allied with al-Qaida-linked jihadis launched assaults on positions held by the ruling junta, which is backed by Russian troops and mercenaries. The Azawad Liberation Front posted that fighting had resumed in the northern town of Kidal and said its fighters planned to drive out what it described as the last Russian fighters sheltering in a camp. Footage circulated by the group showed armed men on Kidal’s streets; independent verification of the claim that the town was captured on Saturday was not available.
The rebel offensive was coordinated with Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), the jihadi coalition that also claimed responsibility for explosions at Bamako’s main airport. Analysts called the incidents one of the largest coordinated attacks in years and warned that renewed cooperation between Tuareg insurgents and JNIM — an alliance that first emerged in 2012 — could deepen the region’s long-running security crisis.
Mali’s authorities have struggled for years to contain militant violence across the Sahel. In 2020, General Assimi Goïta seized power in a coup, cut ties with France and moved to replace French forces in the north with Russian troops and private mercenaries, a shift that has altered the conflict’s dynamics.
The weekend’s attacks included a deadly car bomb outside the home of Mali’s defence minister, General Sadio Camara. His family reported on Sunday that Camara had been killed in the blast; an AFP source speaking on condition of anonymity said at least three other family members also died. Malian officials and sources say the bomb is believed to have been planted by JNIM.
Regional body ECOWAS, from which Mali formally withdrew in 2025, condemned the attacks and urged West African states, security forces and regional mechanisms to work together in a coordinated response to the growing threat. As international and regional actors scramble to assess the shifting alliances and security needs, the immediate priority remains protecting civilians and preventing further escalation across Mali and the wider Sahel.