Mali
Niger’s government announced late Thursday that the combined anti-jihadist forces of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali executed “intensive aerial operations” within Malian borders. These actions were a direct response to recent assaults by jihadists linked to al-Qaeda and Tuareg separatist factions.
The preceding weekend witnessed the most significant offensive against Mali in almost fifteen years, spearheaded by jihadist groups and their Tuareg separatist partners. This series of attacks resulted in the seizure of Kidal, a crucial town in the north, and tragically led to the death of Defence Minister Sadio Camara.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, neighbouring African nations, constitute the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). This alliance established a unified anti-jihadist force, initially comprising 5,000 personnel, which was expanded to 15,000 members by mid-April.
Following a cabinet meeting on Thursday evening, Nigerien authorities expressed their approval of “the swift and robust reaction from the unified force’s units.” They highlighted the “intense air campaigns” launched mere hours after the “cowardly assaults” struck Gao, Menaka, and Kidal on April 25, 2026.
Hours after the initial attacks commenced, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front, a Malian Tuareg rebel group, urged Burkina Faso and Niger “to refrain from intervening in the ongoing developments in Mali.”
All three member states of the AES are currently governed by military juntas, each having seized power through coups d’état occurring between 2020 and 2023.
These recent offensives targeting the Malian military junta and its Russian paramilitary supporters have exacerbated a severe security crisis within the former French colony.
During Camara’s funeral on Thursday, Celestin Simpore, Burkina Faso’s Defence Minister, speaking for the AES, pledged to “pursue and apprehend” those responsible for the killings.
‘Solidarity’
Concurrently, approximately a thousand individuals convened in Niamey, the capital of Niger, demonstrating “solidarity with the Malian populace,” as shown by live social media broadcasts of the gathering.
At the Djado Sekou Cultural Center, attendees chanted slogans including “down with the imperialists,” “down with the terrorists and their backers,” and “long live the AES,” with a prominent photograph of Camara displayed above the crowd.
Effred Mouloul, representing the coalition of civil society organizations that organized the event, conveyed a message to the Malian people: “‘You are not isolated; the committed forces of Niger and the AES stand in full and unwavering solidarity with you.'”
Mouloul criticized African leaders for a “complete absence of overt solidarity following the targeted assassination” of Malian figures and advocated for the removal of French military presence from territories controlled by the AES.
Nigerien authorities have pointed fingers at external powers, notably France, for allegedly supporting the weekend assaults in Mali. Niger has consistently claimed France is attempting to destabilize the nation, an accusation Paris firmly refutes.
Citing security concerns, the Nigerien government has cancelled all May 1st parades nationwide.
