Mali plunged into uncertainty following coordinated attacks on junta

Tuareg rebels of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) coalition gather at the main roundabout in Kidal, Mali, on 26 April, 2026. © AFP - ABDOLLAH AG MOHAMED

Mali is facing its most serious security crisis since 2012 following coordinated weekend attacks by jihadists and Tuareg separatists on army positions near the capital Bamako and in the north of the country. Analysts say this could be a turning point for the junta in power since a 2020 coup.

Several strategic towns and areas around the capital Bamako were targeted in the offensive by Tuareg rebels of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) coalition and the jihadist Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), which was launched at dawn on Saturday.