Malian Army Says It Has Entered Kidal After FLA Announces Withdrawal

BAMAKO, Mali — Mali’s army says it has entered the city of Kidal after the Tuareg separatist Azawad Liberation Front announced that it would withdraw its forces in what it described as a strategic and controlled move.

A Malian staff officer told AFP that the army had arrived in the city, saying, “We have just arrived in Kidal ahead of schedule.” A second Malian officer confirmed the reported arrival.

The statements did not provide details about the timing of the entry, the number of troops involved or any casualties. The supplied reports also did not include independent confirmation of the army’s presence in the city.

Army cites operations with Russian partners

Mali’s general staff said its forces had carried out what it called large-scale air-land operations in the Kidal region alongside Russian partners.

According to the general staff, the operations were intended to neutralize armed terrorist groups, destroy their sanctuaries and restore security and freedom of movement for the population. Those descriptions and claimed results were issued by the military and were not independently verified in the supplied reports.

The general staff did not identify the Russian partners by name. No personnel or casualty figures were given.

FLA announces withdrawal

The Azawad Liberation Front said it had “decided to carry out a strategic and controlled withdrawal of its forces from the city of Kidal.” The statement announced the decision to withdraw but did not establish that the withdrawal had been completed.

The FLA and allied jihadists captured Kidal during attacks in April. JNIM and the FLA later launched a series of assaults beginning in late April, during which they captured the city and killed Mali’s defence minister, according to the supplied report.

The groups also briefly captured Anefis during fierce fighting in early July.

Long-running security crisis

Mali has faced a security crisis since 2012 involving groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, local criminal gangs and separatists.

The country has been ruled by the military since two successive coups in 2020 and 2021. The military came to power promising to restore security, but the supplied report says it had not succeeded so far.

The reported army advance into Kidal, together with the FLA’s withdrawal announcement, marks a significant development in the contest over the city. However, the circumstances surrounding the operation and the implementation of the announced withdrawal remain subject to further confirmation.