Junta Forces Clash With Rebels and Islamic Terrorists in Mali

Armed groups launched a wave of attacks across the West African country of Mali on April 25, setting off hours of fighting with the country’s military government.

Ethnic Tuareg rebels of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and members of the Al Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) coordinated the wave of attacks on April 25.

As the fighting spread, the U.S. Embassy in Mali issued a security alert, advising U.S. citizens to shelter in place.

“The United States strongly condemns today’s terrorist attack in Mali,” the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs said in a statement.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the victims, their families, and all those affected, and we stand with the Malian people and government in the face of this violence. The United States remains committed to supporting efforts to advance peace, stability, and security across Mali and the region.”

Ethnic Tuaregs, who have sought independence for the Azawad region, have clashed with the government on and off since the 1960s.

Malian military officer Assimi Goita led a pair of coups in 2020 and 2021, eventually seizing power and installing a military government.

In 2023, the Goita government requested that U.N. peacekeeping forces—which had been active in the country since 2013—be withdrawn. The United Nations acquiesced to the request.

The Goita government has increasingly relied on Russian mercenary units to bolster its native forces.

Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, an FLA spokesman, shared statements and footage purporting to show the group’s fighters entering multiple Malian communities on April 25. One of the videos purported to show FLA fighters at a military outpost in Kidal that had been used by Malian government forces and Russian mercenaries.

Ramadane said the FLA coordinated with JNIM because the current Malian government “targets everyone.”

Malian government forces said the FLA and JNIM attacks quickly faced setbacks.

“The General Staff of the Armed Forces congratulates the [Malian armed forces] for their vigorous reaction, which routed the enemy and resulted in the neutralization of several hundred terrorists,” the government stated.

Government forces announced that they were conducting a “vast mopping-up operation” across the capital city of Bamako, the town of Kati, and several other communities on April 25.

“The General Staff of the Armed Forces reassures that the situation is totally under control and reiterates its call for calm, vigilance, and for the public to refrain from publishing any unofficial information,” the government forces stated.