Published 2 days ago • loading... • Updated 1 day ago
What to know about the conflict in Mali and the world’s most terrorized region
Militant fatalities rose 35% to 3,435 in the first seven months of the year as JNIM and FLA coordinated larger assaults.
Mali faces a severe security crisis as the al-Qaida-linked JNIM and separatist Azawad Liberation Front intensify joint attacks against the Malian military, marking a major escalation in the decade-long conflict.
Tensions flared in 2024 when the Malian junta exited a 2015 peace accord signed in Algeria, prompting several rebel groups to form the FLA seeking independence for northern Mali.
Both groups view the Malian military and Russian Africa Corps as their 'common enemy,' said ACLED senior analyst Heni Nsaibia, while FLA spokesperson Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane described their relationship as 'a form of tactical coordination.'
Militant attacks have surged, with fatalities increasing 35% to 3,435 in the first seven months of this year according to ACLED data, forcing the military to disperse across wider territories.
JNIM increasingly presents itself as an alternative legitimate authority, exercising de facto control in areas where state institutions are absent, according to Beatrice Bianchi, an adviser for the Sahel-Sahara Security Strategies Centre.