Mali’s army has entered the strategic northern city of Kidal after Tuareg separatists announced their withdrawal from the area as government forces advanced, the military said on Tuesday.
A Malian military officer told AFP that troops had arrived in Kidal ahead of schedule, with a second officer confirming the development.
In a statement, Mali’s military said it had launched large-scale air and ground operations in the Kidal region with support from its Russian partners.
The military said the operations were aimed at neutralising armed groups, destroying their strongholds and restoring security and freedom of movement for residents.
The reported recapture of Kidal represents a significant development for Mali’s military authorities, who suffered a major setback when separatist forces took control of the city earlier in the year.
The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a Tuareg separatist movement, said it had ordered a “strategic and controlled withdrawal” of its forces from Kidal.
The group had captured the city during a series of attacks carried out alongside allied jihadist fighters seeking to weaken Mali’s military-led government.
The fighting intensified from late April, when the FLA and the Al-Qaeda-linked JNIM launched attacks in northern Mali. The offensive resulted in the capture of Kidal and the death of Mali’s defence minister.
The armed groups also briefly seized the town of Anefis in early July following heavy fighting, among other attacks across the region.
Kidal has long been a key centre for Tuareg separatist movements and holds strategic importance because of its location in Mali’s vast northern region.
Mali has faced a prolonged security crisis since 2012, with attacks by groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, as well as violence involving criminal networks and separatist groups.
The country has been ruled by the military since coups in 2020 and 2021. The junta seized power while promising to restore security, but violence has continued across several parts of the country.
The Malian authorities have increasingly relied on cooperation with Russian forces following the withdrawal of French troops and a deterioration in relations with several Western partners.
The latest development in Kidal is therefore likely to have wider implications for the military government’s efforts to reassert control over northern Mali and counter armed groups operating in the region.
