Mali
The unified anti-jihadist force, comprising Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, has conducted extensive aerial operations within Malian territory. This action follows a series of coordinated assaults by al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadists and Tuareg separatist factions, as confirmed by the Nigerien government late on Thursday.
Over the previous weekend, jihadist groups, alongside their Tuareg separatist allies, initiated the most significant attack on Mali in nearly fifteen years. This offensive resulted in the capture of the crucial northern town of Kidal and tragically led to the death of Defence Minister Sadio Camara.
The regional neighbours, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, collectively form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). This alliance established a joint force initially comprising 5,000 personnel to combat jihadist elements, a number that was subsequently expanded to 15,000 in mid-April.
Following a cabinet meeting on Thursday evening, Nigerien authorities expressed their approval of “the swift and robust response from the unified force’s units… which executed intensive air campaigns in the immediate aftermath of the heinous attacks on April 25, 2026, across Gao, Menaka, and Kidal.”
Hours after the initial attacks, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, spokesperson for the Malian Tuareg rebels of the Azawad Liberation Front, had urged Burkina Faso and Niger “to refrain from involvement in the ongoing events in Mali.”
All three nations within the AES are currently governed by military juntas, having transitioned to power through coups between 2020 and 2023.
These recent aggressions against the Malian military junta and its Russian paramilitary supporters have plunged the former French colony into a severe security crisis.
During Minister Camara’s funeral on Thursday, Burkina Faso’s Defence Minister Celestin Simpore, speaking on behalf of the AES, unequivocally vowed to “pursue” the “perpetrators.”
Regional Solidarity and Accusations
On the same day, approximately one thousand individuals gathered in Niamey, the capital of Niger, to demonstrate “solidarity with the Malian populace,” as captured in live social media footage of the event.
At the Djado Sekou Cultural Center, crowds chanted slogans such as “down with the imperialists,” “down with the terrorists and their sponsors,” and “long live the AES,” with a photograph of Minister Camara prominently displayed above them.
Effred Mouloul, a representative from the coalition of civil society organizations that arranged the gathering, declared, “To the Malian people, we affirm: ‘You are not isolated; the active forces of Niger and the AES stand united with you, extending their complete and unwavering solidarity.'”
He further criticized African leaders for a “conspicuous absence of visible solidarity in the face of the targeted assassination” of Malian leaders and called for the removal of French military presence from AES territories.
Nigerien authorities have accused external powers, particularly France, of supporting the recent weekend attacks in Mali. Niger has repeatedly alleged that France seeks to destabilize the region, an accusation Paris consistently denies.
Citing security concerns, the Nigerien government has consequently canceled all May 1 parades across the nation.
