Mali has been grappling with an enduring security and political crisis for many years.

The security crisis is fueled by persistent assaults from jihadist and separatist armed factions. A recent example occurred on April 25, when the capital, Bamako, was targeted in an attack that tragically claimed the life of Defense Minister Sadio Camara, among others.

Concurrently, the nation faces a profound political crisis marked by the suspension of political party activities and the military’s firm grip on power, which has been unchallenged since the coups of 2020 and 2021.

In November 2023, the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA), bolstered by Russian paramilitaries from the Wagner Group, successfully recaptured the city of Kidal. This strategic location had been under the control of rebel groups since 2012. The renewed hostilities underscored the definitive collapse of the 2015 Algiers Accord, an agreement previously reached between the Malian government and northern separatists.

On January 25, 2024, the Malian government formally announced the “immediate termination” of the Algiers Agreement for peace and reconciliation. With the Algiers Accord abandoned, the conflict reignited, leading to a series of coordinated attacks on April 25, 2026. Separatists from the Front de libération de l’Azawad (FLA) and the Groupe de soutien à l’islam et aux musulmans (JNIM) launched assaults on several cities, including Bamako, and swiftly retook Kidal.

Further insights into this complex situation are provided through analyses from experts such as Étienne Fakaba Sissoko of the CFR, Gilles Yabi of WATHI, and sociologist Mohamed Abdellahi Elkhalil.