What to know about the renewed coordinated attacks across Mali

Armed groups successful military-run Mali have launched renewed coordinated attacks successful respective towns crossed the country.

The assaults connected Saturday targeted service positions, including a basal utilized by its troops and Russian forces.

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A separatist Tuareg-led radical and a determination al-Qaeda affiliate claimed work for the attacks, which took spot much than 2 months aft the capital, Bamako, and respective different locations were targeted successful a coordinated ⁠assault by the aforesaid groups.

Here’s what to know:

Where did the attacks instrumentality place?

In an archetypal statement, the Malian service confirmed attacks connected 5 positions: successful Aguelhok, Anefis and Gao successful the north; Sevare successful cardinal Mali; and Kenieroba successful the south.

The service aboriginal said the concern was “totally nether control”, adding that 20 “terrorists” were killed successful Sevare and six successful Gao. One pro-government combatant was killed successful Gao and 4 others were wounded, it said.

In a abstracted connection aboriginal connected Saturday, the service said it had besides repelled attacks successful the cardinal towns of Konna and Somadougou with the assistance of Africa Corps, a Russian-backed paramilitary group.

Videos posted connected the Africa Corps’ Telegram transmission connected Sunday purported to amusement a drone onslaught targeting a rebel presumption successful Anefis and a Russian worker connected apical of a gathering astatine a basal successful Aguelhok. The footage could not beryllium independently verified.

In Kenieroba, a large situation analyzable wherever members of Mali’s governmental absorption are held reportedly came nether attack.

Who was down the attacks?

A spokesperson for the ⁠Tuareg-dominated rebel group, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), told the Reuters quality bureau it was progressive successful the attacks.

The al-Qaeda-linked radical Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) besides claimed responsibility, saying successful a connection it had attacked and taken power of astatine slightest 7 positions held by the service oregon pro-government fighters. The claims could not beryllium independently verified.

Who are these groups?

JNIM was formed successful 2017 arsenic a conjugation betwixt the Saharan subdivision of al-Qaeda successful the Islamic Maghreb and Malian equipped groups Ansar Dine, Katina Macina and al-Mourabitoun.

It is led by Iyad Ag Ghali, who founded Ansar Dine successful 2012, and has fighters crossed the borderline areas of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

JNIM’s main extremity is to seizure and power territory and to expel Western influences successful its portion of control. Some analysts suggested that JNIM whitethorn beryllium seeking to power large cities and, ultimately, to govern the state arsenic a whole.

The FLA was formed successful 2024 from a conjugation of separatist forces successful bluish Mali. Led by Alghabass Ag Intalla, it is engaging successful the latest successful a bid of rebellions by the Tuareg warring for self-determination and independence.

While often astatine odds, fighters from the 2 groups oregon their predecessors person besides partnered connected juncture to combat communal enemies, namely Mali’s authorities and its allies.

In precocious April, they were down a bid of coordinated attacks that targeted locations crossed Mali and killed Defence Minister Sadio Camara.

What is Mali’s information situation?

Since gaining independency successful 1960, Mali has experienced alternating cycles of governmental stableness and instability, punctuated by rebellions, fiscal woes and subject coups.

In 2012, taste Tuareg separatists, allied with fighters from an al-Qaeda offshoot, launched a rebellion that took power of the country’s north.

But the al-Qaeda-linked fighters swiftly pushed retired the Tuareg rebels and seized cardinal bluish cities, triggering French subject involution successful aboriginal 2013 astatine the petition of the government.

In September 2013, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was elected arsenic Mali’s president. Under his government, the United Nations brokered a bid woody betwixt the authorities and bluish Tuareg groups warring for an autarkic Azawad successful 2015.

Keita was deposed successful a subject coup successful August 2020 aft months of wide protests implicit terrible economical woes and the mediocre information situation.

In September that year, retired colonel and erstwhile Defence Minister Bah Ndaw was sworn successful arsenic interim president and coup person Assimi Goita arsenic vice president to pb a transitional government.

In May 2021, Goita seized powerfulness successful a 2nd coup and pledged to reconstruct security. His authorities chopped ties with Mali’s erstwhile assemblage ruler, France, and expelled French forces and UN peacekeepers.

In December 2021, Goita invited the Russian mercenary radical Wagner to enactment the subject authorities successful its combat against equipped groups.

In June past year, Wagner said it would retreat from Mali aft much than 3 and a fractional years deployed there, but Russian mercenaries person remained successful the state nether the banner of the Africa Corps.

Alex Vines, the Africa programme manager astatine the European Council connected Foreign Relations, told Al Jazeera the caller attacks person squeezed the power of Malian authorities into “securitised enclaves and corridors”.

“This has not improved wide security,” helium said, noting that equipped groups successful the state person been coordinating their subject enactment alternatively than competing with each other.

“In this context, overseas subject enactment has constricted success,” helium added.