Tuareg rebels free more Malian soldiers in prisoner swap, sources say

Tuareg rebels person freed astir 60 Malian soldiers successful speech for 1 of their ain leaders, information sources said.

Tuareg rebels person freed astir 60 Malian soldiers successful speech for 1 of their ain leaders, a erstwhile Malian service serviceman turned defector named Inkinane Ag Attaher, information sources person said.

Ag Attaher was a salient fig successful the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) erstwhile helium was arrested by Nigerian information forces adjacent the Niger-Nigeria borderline successful 2025. He was accused of orchestrating drone training, coordinating deadly attacks successful Mali and acting arsenic an planetary liaison.

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“Around 60 soldiers were transported yesterday [Thursday] to Niger to beryllium exchanged for Inkinane Ag Attaher and individuals allegedly linked to JNIM [Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin],” a radical affiliated with al-Qaeda, a Malian information root told AFP quality agency.

The statement was straight overseen by Niger’s government, a 2nd information root said.

Mohamed El Maouloud Ramadane, an FLA spokesman, welcomed Ag Attaher’s merchandise successful a station connected Facebook, sending him “wishes of courage, spot and serenity for the continuation of the struggle”.

The improvement is the latest successful a bid of releases of prisoners taken hostage successful bluish Mali by al-Qaeda-linked fighters and Tuareg rebels, including Russian mercenaries. The Tuareg rebels said immoderate of their ain men held successful Malian prisons were besides freed.

General Abdoulaye Maiga, Mali’s premier minister, visited Algiers connected Monday successful a bid to re-establish high-level talks betwixt the sides aft tensions caused by disagreements implicit determination information [File: Sean Gallup/Getty Images]

Sources successful Mali person told Al Jazeera that Algeria has been helping to mediate implicit the merchandise of its soldiers.

On Monday, General Abdoulaye Maiga, Mali’s premier minister, visited Algiers successful a bid to re-establish high-level talks with the Algerian authorities aft tensions caused by disagreements implicit determination security.

Bamako has publically ruled retired talks with groups it calls terrorists, but the releases suggest channels of connection stay unfastened portion the warring continues.

JNIM and the FLA claimed work for a bid of attacks connected April 25 targeting Bamako’s airdrome and respective different locations. That day, Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed successful a bombing astatine his residence successful Kati.

The 2 groups besides claimed ‌responsibility for attacks connected service positions crossed Mali connected July 4.

Elisee Jean Dao, main of the wide unit of Mali’s equipped forces, issued a informing to those who proceed to combat against the Malian army.

“Wherever the force is, we volition spell aft them and decision them, until they laic down their weapons. For those who are Malians, our state has a bid process that allows them to travel back. So I privation to marque that entreaty again. It is not excessively late. The doorway is inactive open,” helium said.

Al Jazeera analogous Nicolas Haque said warring is continuing beyond Mali’s borders and crossed the Sahel, but the captive releases and Algeria’s mediation could spot much soldiers freed.

Soldiers of the Malian service are seen during a patrol connected the roadworthy betwixt Mopti and Djenne, successful cardinal Mali [File: Michele Cattani/AFP]

Mali has been warring a civilian warfare since 2012, erstwhile a Tuareg separatist rebellion successful the northbound gave mode to equipped campaigns by groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS).

The subject has ruled the state since a 2021 coup, pledging to reconstruct bid and unite the country.

JNIM has gained successful spot ‌since the Malian soldiers who seized powerfulness expelled French forces and immoderate 15,000 United Nations peacekeepers, ‌and turned to Russian paramilitaries for defence support.

While the FLA presents itself arsenic a secular nationalist question seeking independency for Mali’s Azawad portion and JNIM is an al-Qaeda-affiliated group, the 2 sides have acceptable ideological differences aside to face the Malian government.