26.4.2026
Fresh fighting erupted Sunday in the key Malian town of Kidal between Tuareg rebels backed by Islamist militants and government forces supported by Russian mercenaries, a day after insurgents launched coordinated strikes across the restive Sahel nation.
Tuareg rebels of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) coalition on Saturday had said they had seized the northern city of Kidal, supported by Islamist fighters.
“Fighting resumed in Kidal this morning. We want to drive out the last Russian fighters who have taken refuge in a camp,” Mohamed Ramdane, a spokesman for the Tuareg rebels said on Sunday.
“Today, Sunday, fighting resumed in Kidal between the Malian army, the Russians and the (Tuareg) rebels. Residents heard gunfire. There’s shooting,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Kidal, a Tuareg stronghold, was retaken in November 2023 by the Malian army backed by Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group, ending more than a decade of control by rebels.
“The aim of the attackers was not to seize and control cities, but to carry out coordinated actions in order to at least capture Kidal, which is a rather powerful symbol,” a security source told AFP on Sunday.
Meanwhile according to Al Jazeera reports Mali’s Defence Minister, Sadio Camara, was one o of the military causalities of the coordinated attacks targeting military installations across the country.
Camara died from injuries sustained during an attack on his residence in Kati, a key military garrison town located about 15 kilometres from Bamako.
The assault, which occurred barely 24 hours before his death, involved a suicide car bomb and formed part of a broader offensive across the country.
Camara, a key figure in Mali’s military leadership, rose to prominence after playing a central role in the coups of 2020 and 2021 that brought the current junta to power.
Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque described his death as significant.
“He was one of the most influential figures within the ruling military leadership… His death is a major blow to the country’s armed forces,” he said. Agency reports