Mali is facing its most serious security crisis in years, as al-Qaida-linked militants and separatist rebels join forces to intensify attacks against the military.
The Complex Conflict
The partnership between the JNIM jihadi rebels and the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) is the latest twist in a decades-long conflict in what is already the world’s most terrorized region.
The FLA, which was formed in 2024, is fighting for the independence of northern Mali. Its roots date back to the 1960s following Mali’s independence from France, when it claimed that the central government marginalized the northern region politically and economically.
The latest dimension to the Mali conflict began in 2012 with the northern Tuareg rebellion, which opened the field for jihadis, setting the country and the wider Sahel on a violent path. Soldiers took over Mali’s civilian government in 2020, citing the security crisis, setting off a series of coups across the Sahel, which is considered the deadliest region in the world with a record of up to half of all terror-related deaths globally, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace.
The Role of JNIM
JNIM is the most potent of the armed groups in the Sahel region and one of the deadliest local affiliates of al-Qaida globally, according to researchers. It was formed in 2017 after the merger of four separate al-Qaida-affiliated groups in Mali, creating one bigger entity. One of its stated goals was to drive out French forces which, at the time, were helping Malian forces to fight the jihadis.
JNIM is led by Iyad Ag Ghaly, a veteran of the Tuareg rebel group and a former Malian diplomat. It operates across much of Mali in the north, south, west, and central axis. Last year, it imposed a blockade on fuel imports into the country, disrupting fuel supplies to the capital Bamako to date.
Analysts say JNIM has forced the Malian military to disperse across wider territories, stretching its operational capacity on multiple fronts. Recently, it has been presenting itself as an alternative legitimate authority to the government.
“JNIM has progressively expanded its influence, becoming an increasingly unavoidable interlocutor for some local communities and exercising de facto authority in certain areas where state institutions have only a limited presence,” said Beatrice Bianchi, an adviser for the Sahel-Sahara Security Strategies Centre.
The Rise of the FLA
The FLA is the latest iteration of the complex formations of several Tuareg separatist rebel groups that have emerged in the north. Its roots date back to the 1960s following Mali’s independence from France, when it claimed that the central government marginalized the northern region politically and economically.
The FLA was formed in 2024, after the Malian junta exited the accords signed in Algeria between the Malian government and the rebels. Several officials of multiple rebel groups then came together to form the FLA.
The Sahel-based arm of the Islamic State group, the ISSP, was formed by defectors from al-Mourabitoun, one of the four al-Qaida affiliates that came together to form the JNIM. In Mali, it is considerably less prominent compared to JNIM, and most of its operations are in the Menaka region, which borders Niger.
Conclusion
The partnership between the JNIM and FLA has resulted in some of the largest attacks Malian security forces and their partners have seen in years, analysts say. The conflict in Mali is a complex and multifaceted issue, with multiple armed groups and interests at play. Understanding the dynamics of this conflict is crucial to finding a resolution and bringing peace to the region.
