BAMAKO, Mali — Mali’s army says it has entered the strategic northern city of Kidal, a major development in the country’s prolonged security crisis, after Tuareg separatist fighters announced a controlled withdrawal from the city as government forces advanced.
A Malian military staff officer told AFP that troops had arrived in Kidal “ahead of schedule,” while a second military officer confirmed the army’s presence in the city.
The development marks a significant shift in control of Kidal, a city that has long been a stronghold of Tuareg separatist movements and a key focal point in Mali’s conflict.
In a statement released Tuesday, Mali’s General Staff said its forces had launched what it described as “large-scale air-land operations” in the Kidal region, working alongside its Russian partners.
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According to the military, the operation was aimed at combating armed groups, destroying their bases and restoring security and freedom of movement for civilians.
The reported advance comes after the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) announced its decision to withdraw its forces from Kidal.
In a statement, the separatist group described the move as a “strategic and controlled withdrawal” from the city.
The FLA and jihadist fighters affiliated with Al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) had previously mounted coordinated attacks against Malian military positions. The offensive contributed to a sharp deterioration in security across northern and central Mali.
Kidal has particular symbolic importance in Mali’s long-running conflict. Its capture by separatist forces had represented a major setback for the military authorities, who came to power following coups in 2020 and 2021 and have made restoring national security a central justification for their rule.
The latest military operation therefore gives the transitional authorities an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to reassert control over a territory that has remained at the centre of Mali’s separatist conflict.
However, the situation remains volatile.
Mali has faced a severe security crisis since 2012, with attacks involving groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and Islamic State, Tuareg separatists and criminal networks. The conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths and displaced large numbers of civilians.
The military government has also increasingly turned to Russia for security cooperation following the departure of French and other Western forces from Mali.
Recent developments underline the continuing challenges facing the Malian military. In September 2026, more than 100 Malian soldiers were reported killed in a major JNIM attack on a military camp in Dioura, according to security and local sources cited by AFP.
The army’s entry into Kidal is consequently both a military and political development, but its longer-term significance will depend on whether government forces can maintain control of the city and improve security for residents amid continued attacks by armed groups.
For civilians in Kidal and across northern Mali, the central question remains whether the latest change in control will translate into lasting security and freedom of movement.
