Azawad Separatists Clash with Malian Troops and Russian-Backed Mercenaries in North

A separatist coalition clashed with Malian troops backed by Russian-linked Africa Corps fighters on Friday in northern Mali, according to both sides and local sources. The fighting, centered in the Kidal region, marks a deadly escalation following a string of recent attacks targeting the military.

The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) claimed it killed dozens of Africa Corps fighters, stating that “around 15 bodies were left abandoned on the site of the fighting.” The separatist group said it also destroyed 21 military vehicles and captured 12 trucks loaded with food supplies, fuel tankers, a military pickup, and an armored vehicle from a convoy of 30 vehicles.

FLA spokesman Mohamed Maouloud Ramadan confirmed the deaths of three separatist fighters. Viral videos shared by the group showed burning military vehicles and armed young men posing amid gunfire in the desert. Bodies in military uniforms, resembling those worn by the Malian army, were also visible. These visuals could not be independently verified by the Associated Press.

The Malian army acknowledged that one of its logistics convoys had been ambushed in Kidal during an “offensive operation against an armed terrorist group.” The military reported that 10 enemy combatants were killed.

Kidal, a stronghold of Azawad separatists, was retaken by Malian forces in 2023 after years of contested control. The Azawad movement, seeking independence for northern Mali, signed a 2015 peace deal that has since unraveled.

A local official described the fighting as “fierce,” with casualties on both sides. “But we’ll have to wait for definitive figures,” they told AFP.

The confrontation comes shortly after Wagner, the Russian mercenary group long active in Mali, officially exited the country. It has been succeeded by the Africa Corps, now under direct control of Russia’s defense ministry. While Wagner’s departure is recent, around 2,000 Russian mercenaries remain in Mali, though it is unclear how many are part of each group.

Rida Lyammouri, a Sahel expert at the Policy Center for the New South, said the attack highlights the challenges Malian forces face in harsh northern terrains like Kidal. “It’s difficult to gather actionable intelligence to protect their convoys, and this gives a significant advantage to armed and jihadist groups,” he noted.

Mali has faced persistent unrest since 2012, with separatist and jihadist groups—some linked to Al-Qaeda and Daesh—waging ongoing violence.