The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a Tuareg-led rebel alliance, said late on Saturday that its armed forces took “total control” of the northern Malian city of Kidal, following an operation, according to a statement by its executive bureau.
The group said only “a small residual pocket of resistance” remained, consisting of Russian mercenaries from the Africa Corps and Malian soldiers entrenched in a former UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, or MINUSMA, camp.
“We, in Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, declare our responsibility for the following:
The operations targetting the residence of the Malian President “Assimi Goïta”, the residence of the Malian Minister of Defence “Sadio Camara”, Modibo Keita International Airport in the Malian capital Bamako and the military positions in the city of Kati.
“By the grace of Allah, we were also able to achieve full control over the city of Mopti, and to seize most of the army camps and mercenary positions in Sévaré and Gao,” their statement read.
The Front said they also gained control of the city of Kidal after a successful and coordinated operation against the Malian army and Russian mercenaries, with the participation of our partners in the FLA.
“We also declare that Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin seeks to keep the Russian side neutral in the conflict, in exchange for not targeting them and coordinating to build a future relationship that is balanced and effective,” according to the Front.
“As we announce this victory, we affirm that it was not by coincidence or chance, but first by the grace of Allah, and the effective participation of our brothers in the Azawad Liberation Front, to bring about real change that serves the interests of religion, the country, and the people,” the statement read.
The statement came after Mali’s transitional government said coordinated attacks by armed groups targetted several cities on Saturday, leaving 16 civilians and soldiers injured.
The government said security forces contained the assaults in Bamako, Kati, Sevaré, Gao and Kidal, neutralised several attackers and restored control.
“At present, the situation is totally under control,” it said, praising the response of the armed forces and urging public vigilance.
The FLA stated that the operation was conducted “in partnership with the JNIM,” describing a coordinated effort involving attacks on military positions in the city of Gao. The group said the actions were part of a broader strategy aimed at territorial control and what it described as the protection of local populations.
“The FLA informs the national and international public opinion that its forces have taken full control of the city of Kidal,” it said. It added that the actions were part of a “logic of territorial liberation and sustainable security” in the Azawad region.
The group accused Malian armed forces and their Russian allies of committing human rights violations and said its objective included creating conditions for the “voluntary, safe and dignified return” of refugees and displaced persons.
The FLA also urged Russian authorities to “assume their responsibility as an international actor” and reconsider their support for Mali’s military leadership. It described authorities in Bamako as “a major obstacle to any credible and inclusive political solution,” while expressing an openness to alliances aimed at political change.
The statement added an appeal for urgent international mobilization on humanitarian and political fronts, warning of what it described as years of insecurity, repression and marginalization affecting populations in the Azawad.
Kidal, a strategic city in northern Mali, has long been a center of tensions involving separatist movements, jihadist groups and government forces.
The withdrawal of MINUSMA from Mali has reshaped the security landscape, leaving former bases contested by various armed actors.
The FLA is one of several groups active in the region, where alliances and rivalries have evolved amid ongoing conflict. The mention of coordination with JNIM underscores the complex dynamics of northern Mali’s security situation.
There was no immediate independent confirmation of the FLA’s claims. – AA