Militants and Tuareg separatists have seized the northern Malian town of Kidal after coordinated assaults on key military positions, local sources said.
Fierce clashes over two days between Malian forces and militants allied with separatists have deepened uncertainty around the country’s junta-led government.
Attackers launched a dawn offensive on Saturday, targeting several strategic towns and areas, including positions near the capital Bamako, witnesses reported.
A source close to the regional governor said Malian forces had withdrawn from Kidal, leaving control to militants and the Azawad Liberation Front.
Residents confirmed seeing Malian soldiers and their Russian mercenary allies departing the town, signalling a sudden and decisive shift in control.
The Azawad Liberation Front, a separatist group seeking independence for northern Mali, claimed it had secured total control of Kidal.
The loss marks a significant setback for Mali’s military leadership, already grappling with persistent insecurity and growing pressure across multiple fronts.
In a televised address, the army chief described the move as a tactical “readjustment”, announcing a redeployment of forces to nearby Anefis.
Kidal, long a bastion of separatist resistance, had been under rebel control for years before its recapture by Malian forces in November 2023.
That earlier victory, backed by Russian Wagner Group mercenaries, was celebrated nationally as a powerful symbol of regained authority.
Its sudden fall now casts a long shadow, raising fresh questions about the durability of recent gains and the country’s fragile stability.
