Fresh clashes broke out on Sunday in the key town of Kidalu in northern Mali, where Tuareg rebel forces and government troops backed by Russian mercenaries clashed. The escalation comes a day after coordinated attacks across the volatile Sahel region.
Tuareg rebels from the Azawad Liberation Front coalition announced on Saturday that they had taken control of the town of Kidal.
– The fighting continued this morning. We want to expel the last Russian fighters who took refuge in the camp – said the spokesman of the rebels, Mohamed Ramdane.
A local official confirmed the continuation of the conflict, stating that residents heard intense gunfire.
Kidal, a Tuareg stronghold, was retaken by the Malian army in November 2023 with the support of the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group, ending more than a decade of rebel control.
The rebel coalition also claims to have taken certain positions in the Gao region.
Security sources state that the goal of the attack was not the long-term capture of the cities, but coordinated actions with a focus on Kidal as a symbolically important location.
Mali has been hit by conflict and violence for more than a decade, but Saturday’s attacks are considered the worst since 2020, when a military junta took power.
Attacks were also reported on the outskirts of the capital, Bamako, as well as in several other cities across the country.
(Vijesti.ba)
