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1h ago

Africa Corps Quits Kidal as Tuareg Rebels and Jihadists Test Mali’s Junta

The pullout signals eroding security for a government that had leaned on Russian forces.

Sadio Camara was a key figure behind the Malian junta's pivot away from France and towards Russia
An ariel view of Bamako, Mali, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo)
Malian forces patrol the streets of Timbuktu, Sept. 26, 2021. (AP photo by Moulaye Sayah)
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov looks on as Russia's President Vladimir Putin (not pictured) and Togo's President of the Council of Ministers Faure Gnassingbe (not pictured) meet at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia November 19, 2025. REUTERS/Ramil Sitdikov/Pool/File Photo

Overview

  • Africa Corps, which confirmed Monday it had withdrawn from Kidal with Malian troops, left a town that the Tuareg FLA and al-Qaida‑linked JNIM now say they control.
  • The alliance struck Saturday at Bamako’s airport, the Kati garrison town, and cities including Gao and Sévaré in what analysts called the most coordinated offensive in years.
  • Mali’s defense minister, Gen. Sadio Camara, died after a car bomb hit his home in Kati during the assault, according to a government statement.
  • Following the weekend attacks, authorities imposed night curfews, reported a tactical repositioning around Kidal, and released no overall casualty toll.
  • Rebel statements said they negotiated safe withdrawals from Kidal and Tessit, pointing to battlefield deals even as junta leader Assimi Goïta has not spoken publicly.