Tuareg rebels withdraw from strategic town of Kidal in northern Mali
The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a coalition formed in 2024 uniting Tuareg and northern separatist factions, said in a statement on Tuesday that it had decided to carry out a “controlled withdrawal” from Kidal six months after capturing the town and amid fresh air strikes by Mali’s military backed by Russian fighters.
While the FLA presents itself as a secular nationalist movement seeking independence for Mali’s Azawad region and JNIM is an al-Qaeda-affiliated group, the two sides have set ideological differences aside to confront the Malian government.
The goals of the operations included “tracking down and neutralizing” armed groups in the area, destroying their supply networks, and restoring “lasting security” and free movement for people and goods, a Malian military statement said.
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