Mali says 82 soldiers captured during deadly attacks in April have been released, marking a rare breakthrough as the military government battles jihadist and separatist groups across the country. The Malian army said Thursday that the soldiers were freed after what it described as a carefully coordinated operation. The troops had been captured following coordinated attacks on April 25, when armed groups targeted military positions, including facilities around Bamako’s airport. The attacks were claimed by the al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). The groups later claimed responsibility for another series of attacks against military positions on July 4.
Mali has been battling an Islamist insurgency since 2012, with JNIM expanding its operations despite repeated military campaigns. The conflict has also involved Tuareg separatist groups seeking greater autonomy or independence in northern Mali. The security crisis deepened after military coups in 2020 and 2021, which brought Colonel Assimi Goita to power. His government ended Mali’s long-standing military partnership with France and later asked the United Nations peacekeeping mission to leave. Russian military personnel have since become important security partners for Bamako. The soldiers’ release comes as the junta faces continued attacks on military positions and growing pressure to demonstrate that its security strategy is working.
In a separate move, Goita granted a presidential pardon to a French embassy official who had been sentenced to 20 years in prison for alleged espionage, according to Mali’s government. The official, whose identity was not immediately disclosed, was detained amid worsening diplomatic relations between Bamako and Paris. Mali said the pardon does not erase the court’s findings but allows the official to be expelled from the country. Relations between Mali and France have deteriorated sharply since the coups, with French troops withdrawing and Bamako increasingly aligning itself with Russia. The release of the soldiers and the expulsion of the French official highlight the twin security and diplomatic challenges facing Mali as the junta seeks to consolidate its authority while confronting powerful armed groups.
