Mali faces escalating jihadist offensives that cripple Sahel security

Since September 2025 the security situation in Mali has deteriorated sharply as the Al‑Qaeda‑linked JNIM and the Touareg Front of Liberation of Azawad (FLA) imposed blockades, fuel embargoes and coordinated attacks across the country. The offensive of 25‑26 April 2026 killed Defence Minister Sadio Camara, saw the loss of the strategic northern city Kidal and forced President Assimi Goïta to evacuate from Kati.

In early June 2026 a new wave of attacks struck Gao, Anéfis, Aguelhok, Sévaré and the prison at Kéniéroba, prompting the Malian army, supported by the Africa Corps and Russian Wagner mercenaries, to claim the situations were under control while reports indicated ongoing fighting. The relentless violence has stripped Mali of its former role as a regional security leader in the Sahel, turning the country into what analysts describe as the “soft belly” of the alliance of Sahel states.

The crisis adds to Mali’s deep economic woes and political instability that followed two coups in 2020‑21, and it highlights the growing influence of jihadist groups and the shift away from former French ties toward Russian support.