The Tuareg separatist militias of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) have announced this early morning the start of a new coordinated offensive against Gao, one of Mali's main cities, as well as against the strategic towns of Aguelhok and Anefif. This would be the continuation of the major campaign launched in April alongside jihadist groups, which had seriously challenged the military junta governing the country.
The FLA spokesperson, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, has confirmed these attacks in statements to Radio France Internationale (RFI). The broadcaster has cross-referenced the information with its own sources, as has Africa Corps, the former Russian mercenary group Wagner, which currently supports the Malian Armed Forces in counter-terrorism operations.
Finally, it was the Malian Army itself that ended up corroborating this series of attacks "against military positions" in the indicated areas, to which it added Sevaré and Kenioroba, before declaring the situation under control. The preliminary official toll speaks of at least 26 Tuareg combatants and one soldier killed in the clashes.
"In Sévaré, 20 terrorists on motorcycles and equipped vehicles have been neutralized. In Gao, one allied soldier died and four were injured, all receiving medical attention; six terrorists were neutralized and one vehicle was destroyed," the military reported on social media.
The beginning of the "liberation" of Azawad
The FLA spokesperson went further and proclaimed on RFI that "the liberation of Azawad has begun," using the term with which the Tuaregs designate the region they aspire to separate from the rest of the country.
The FLA's assault on Anefif is of particular importance, as it is a key transit point towards Kidal, a city that the rebels took during the April offensive and which has become one of their main strongholds.
Africa Corps, which placed the start of the attacks around 05:40 AM, has stated on its official channels that it has launched a joint operation with the Malian Army to counter the offensive: "Africa Corps units, in coordination with the Malian Army, are successfully carrying out combat operations to repel the attack against these peaceful cities."
"The terrorists are carrying out an intense propaganda campaign in the media and on social networks, which has nothing to do with reality," said the group's command, which later disseminated images of alleged fallen combatants and the motorcycles used in the attack, burned. "Whoever comes to us with a sword will perish by the sword," they warned.
Regarding the attack denounced by the Army in Kenioroba, initial information gathered by RFI suggests that the target would have been the town's prison, located about 60 kilometers from the capital, Bamako.
It is worth remembering that in April, the FLA already launched a series of coordinated attacks with a heavyweight ally, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), a jihadist organization linked to Al Qaeda, with which it had allegedly been in contact for months to prepare that joint offensive.
That attack reached several barracks in the capital and lasted for hours, until the insurgents were repelled or withdrew by their own decision to consolidate their advances in other areas, as was the case in Kidal.