Mali's army conducts airstrikes on militant groups in southwest region

The Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) announced on Sunday that they have carried out a series of airstrikes targeting militant groups in the southwestern part of the country. The military action is the latest in a prolonged campaign against an array of insurgent factions that have destabilized Mali for over a decade.

Strikes target 'significant movement' near Mourdiah

In an official statement, the army said the airstrikes were conducted as part of a reconnaissance mission on Saturday. The operation focused on armed groups located southeast of the Mourdiah military camp, with the army reporting it successfully hit a "significant movement" of militants. The statement did not specify which particular terrorist organizations were targeted in the strikes, a common practice in the complex conflict landscape.

A fragmented and evolving security crisis

Mali has been embroiled in a severe security crisis since 2012, initially driven by separatist rebellions in the north that later evolved into a broader Islamist insurgency. The militant landscape is fragmented. In December 2024, five major armed separatist groups formed an alliance known as the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), seeking independence for northern regions. Simultaneously, the government is fighting al-Qaeda-affiliated groups like JNIM (Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims) and the Macina Liberation Front (FLM), which it designates as terrorist organizations. The Malian state regards all these armed factions as threats to its sovereignty.

New tactics and shifting international alliances

The conflict has seen evolving tactics. JNIM has recently retaliated against government policies aimed at cutting its supply chains, including a ban on fuel sales outside official stations in rural areas. The group besieged the capital, Bamako, in September and has conducted attacks on fuel tankers in an apparent bid to paralyze the city and pressure the military-led government. This government, which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, has dramatically shifted its foreign policy. It severed long-standing security ties with France, its former colonial power, and has sought closer military and political cooperation with Russia, reflecting a broader realignment in the Sahel region that is closely watched by international partners, including Türkiye.