Al-Qaeda-linked fighters killed the defense minister, a top Moscow ally, and forced Russian mercenaries to retreat, highlighting the Mali-Russia partnership’s failure. Source link
FRANCE 24’s François Picard is pleased to welcome Ulf Laessing, Director of the Regional Sahel Programme at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. According to Laessing, we are witnessing in Mali the complete unraveling of a broader geopolitical experiment. Russia stepped into a vacuum left by France, promising stability through force. Instead, its reliance on mercenary brutality, coupled with a shallow understanding of local dynamics, has accelerated the demise of an already fraught collaboration. The fall of Kidal and the coordinated surprise offensives reveal a dramatic shift in the balance of power. Jihadist groups and Tuareg rebels, which were historical adversaries, are now tactically aligned against a common enemy. Popular dissatisfaction with the junta coexists with a deeper fear of Islamist governance, creating a tense equilibrium that sustains the current regime, Laessing tells us. Meanwhile, regional institutions such as ECOWAS find themselves constrained, powerless to exert any meaningful influence as the Sahel region plunges deeper into conflict, isolation and instability. Source link
new video loaded: Mali’s Defense Minister Killed in Islamist Attacks 1:36 Mali’s defense minister was killed in attacks over the weekend by militants linked to Al Qaeda, a government spokesman said. By Monika Cvorak April 27, 2026 ‘God Will Never Abandon You,’ Pope Tells Prisoners in Equatorial Guinea 1:07 Pope Leo Says News Outlets Misunderstood Recent Remarks as Trump Criticism 1:41 More Than 100 Deaths Confirmed Across Southern Africa From Floods 1:14 The Conflict Over Nigeria’s Returned Treasures 2:46 One Hundred Schoolchildren Released After Abduction in Nigeria 1:20 Trump Calls Somalis ‘Garbage’ in Xenophobic Rant 1:14 Video › Today’s Videos U.S. Politics Immigration NY Region Science Business Culture Books Wellness World Africa Americas Asia South Asia Donald Trump Middle East Crisis Russia-Ukraine Crisis Visual Investigations Opinion Video Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Source link
Two and a half years later, the flag of Azawad – the Tuareg name for the northern region of Mali claimed by separatists of the FLA (Azawad Liberation Front) – is once again flying over the city of Kidal. In November 2023, the Malian army seized the city alongside Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group, now rebranded as Africa Corps. On April 25, separatists raised their flag in the city’s central square, claiming to have regained control. FLA fighters pose in Kidal’s main square after seizing control of the city on April 25. Location: 18°26’48.17″N 1°24’32.56″E Source: X / Wamaps_news / Guillaumem_MRC To display this content from X (Twitter), you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. Accept Manage my choices The assault began at 6am. Six Malian cities found themselves under fire. In Kidal and Gao, the offensive was led by a coalition comprising the FLA and the al Qaeda-linked Jihadist Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM). A morning of heavy fighting on the outskirts of Kidal An FLA commander told …
Fresh fighting erupted Sunday in the key Malian town of Kidal between Tuareg rebels backed by jihadists and government forces supported by Russian mercenaries, a day after insurgents launched coordinated strikes across the restive Sahel nation. Tuareg rebels of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) on Sunday announced a deal for a Russian withdrawal from Kidal. “An accord has been reached permitting the (Malian) army and its (Russian) Africa Corps allies to leave the camp 2, where they were holed up since yesterday,” a Tuareg official told AFP. A Kidal resident told AFP: “We saw a military convoy leave, but don’t know the details of what’s happening… Fighters from armed movements have now taken over the streets.” The Africa Corps, an organisation under direct control of the Russian defence ministry, largely took over the Africa operations of the Wagner Group following the 2023 death of its founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin. The group has been helping the Malian junta fight jihadists in the West African nation. To display this content from X (Twitter), you must enable advertisement tracking …
25/04/2026 – 20:14 Israel PM orders attacks on Hezbollah after army alleges truce violations Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to strike Lebanon’s Hezbollah hard after what the army said was a string of ceasefire violations. According to a brief statement from his office, the premier “ordered the IDF to forcefully attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon”, after the military said the Iran-backed group had violated a ceasefire that was extended earlier this week. 25/04/2026 – 20:13 Jihadist group JNIM says it launched Mali attacks with Tuareg rebels The Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) said that it had launched the attacks across Mali in a joint operation with Tuareg rebels. The group said in a statement that it had attacked the homes of junta leader General Assimi Goita and Defence Minister General Sadio Camara, among other targets. Earlier Saturday, Tuareg rebels in the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) coalition said they had seized the northern city of Kidal. 25/04/2026 – 19:17 Tuareg rebels “trying to create a separatist state” from …
