Coordinated attacks rattle Mali as African Union condemns violence

Explosions and prolonged gunfire have been reported in Mali’s capital, Bamako, as armed factions appear to carry out coordinated attacks across multiple regions of the country, according to BBC.

Witnesses described blasts and exchanges of fire near Kati, which hosts a major military installation just outside the capital, with troops deployed to seal off key roads in the area.

Further incidents have been reported in the northern cities of Gao and Kidal, as well as in Sevare in central Mali, in what analysts suggest could represent the most significant jihadist offensive in recent years.

Preliminary information indicates that the separatist Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), which advocates for an independent Tuareg state, concentrated its operations in the north. Meanwhile, the jihadist group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) is believed to have launched parallel attacks across several locations nationwide.

Mali’s armed forces stated they were engaged in combat with unidentified “terrorist groups” and claimed the situation was under control, although unverified reports suggest clashes are ongoing.

At the same time, FLA spokesperson Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane wrote on social media that the group had seized control of Kidal and was extending its presence into central areas of Gao.

Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, chair of the African Union Commission, said he was closely monitoring the situation with “deep concern,” stressing in a statement posted on X that he "strongly condemns these acts which risk exposing civilian populations to significant harm".

For years, Mali has faced persistent instability driven by jihadist insurgencies linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, alongside a long-standing separatist movement in the north. The country is currently governed by a military junta led by Assimi Goïta, who came to power following a 2020 coup, pledging to restore security and counter armed groups.

The FLA has long pursued the establishment of an independent Azawad state in northern Mali, where it already exercises de facto control over large territories.

The junta initially enjoyed broad public backing after seizing power, largely due to its promise to resolve the prolonged security crisis that originated with the Tuareg rebellion and was later exploited by Islamist militant groups.

By Jeyhun Aghazada