Mali’s armed forces have entered Kidal, five months after Tuareg separatists seized the northern city, according to a report citing statements from the transitional government and armed groups that had controlled the area.

The government said its troops had consolidated their positions in Kidal with support from Russian partners. A statement carried by Mali’s state television said the return followed “intense air-ground neutralization operations.”

The Azawad Liberation Front, a Tuareg separatist movement, gave a different account of the development. In a statement issued earlier on Tuesday, the group described its departure as a “strategic and controlled withdrawal,” saying it was prompted by what it called the “disproportionate use of aerial assets by Russian mercenaries from Africa Corps.”

The group said the move was temporary and intended to “preserve human lives.” Armed groups that had held Kidal also said the Malian army entered the city without a fight.

Different accounts of the takeover

The available accounts do not independently establish whether Malian forces fought to enter Kidal or moved into positions vacated by the separatists. The government’s description of air-ground operations contrasts with the armed groups’ claim that the army entered without combat.

Kidal is regarded as a Tuareg stronghold and has been a major point of contention in Mali’s prolonged security crisis. Separatists seized the city in April during coordinated attacks across the country involving Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, the regional affiliate of al-Qaeda. The attacks also killed Mali’s defence minister.

Malian troops and fighters from the Wagner mercenary group had retaken Kidal in November 2023, before the city was lost again during the April attacks.

Role of Russia-backed forces

Mali’s military government turned toward Russia after taking power in coups in 2020 and 2021 and distancing itself from Western allies. The country initially relied on Wagner, which was replaced by Russia’s Africa Corps in June 2025. Africa Corps is described as operating under the direct control of Russia’s Defence Ministry.

The transitional government’s statement referred to support from Russian partners, while the Azawad Liberation Front specifically blamed Russian mercenaries from Africa Corps for the aerial operations it cited as the reason for withdrawing.

Beverly Ochieng, an associate director at Control Risks, said in comments reported by Reuters that a successful recapture would affirm the military-led government’s authority and raise army morale after recent setbacks in northern and central Mali.

Ochieng also described the change of control in Kidal as “symbolic” rather than “decisive” in the wider campaign against rebel groups. She said the development could also allow Africa Corps to reassert its position as the Malian government’s security guarantor.

Mali has faced a security crisis since 2012 involving armed groups linked to al-Qaeda, ISIL (ISIS) and Tuareg separatists. The reported change in control of Kidal is therefore significant for the government’s public claim to authority, although its broader impact on the conflict remains uncertain.