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2h ago

Rebels Seize Tessalit and Tighten Pressure on Bamako as Mali Opens Insider Probe

The gains expose the limits of Mali’s Russia-backed security model.

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A satellite image shows the area surrounding the home of late Mali's defense minister Sadio Camara, after coordinated attacks by West Africa's al Qaeda affiliate and a Tuareg-dominated separatist group, in Kati, Mali, April 26, 2026. VANTOR/Handout via REUTERS
A general view of Bamako after insurgents launched attacks on military bases across the Mali on April 25, 2026. (REUTERS/Aboubacar Traore)

Overview

  • Rebel forces captured the Tessalit super-camp near the Algerian border on Friday after Malian troops and Russian Africa Corps units evacuated the base.
  • Security sources said Friday the al-Qaeda-linked JNIM set up checkpoints on key roads around Bamako and renewed threats to blockade the capital.
  • The coordinated April 25 attacks by JNIM and Tuareg FLA fighters killed Defence Minister Sadio Camara and triggered a pullout from the northern stronghold of Kidal.
  • The Kremlin said Thursday its Africa Corps will stay to support Mali’s military rulers despite rebel demands for a full Russian withdrawal.
  • Malian authorities have opened an investigation into soldiers suspected of aiding the attacks, as UN figures and refugee accounts point to rising displacement into Mauritania.