In a strategically orchestrated counteroffensive, Touareg fighters from the Front de libération de l’Azawad (FLA) and the Jnim (Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims) have seized the initiative in northern Mali. Viral social media footage captures these combatants parading on abandoned armored vehicles left behind by fleeing Russian mercenaries. The spectacle follows the rapid withdrawal of Africa Corps—formerly Wagner Group—from Kidal, a key northern city, after just two days of control.
The FLA declared on X that an agreement had been reached with Africa Corps elements to ensure their secure evacuation from Kidal. This development underscores the fragility of the Malian junta’s alliances and highlights shifting power dynamics in the Sahel region.
