Mali army, Kremlin-linked forces clash with Azawad separatists; dozens killed, military convoy ambushed

Malian security forces engaged in clashes with members of an armed separatist group over a two-day period, resulting in the deaths of 10 separatist fighters, according to a statement by the Malian army. On the other hand, the Azawad separatists claimed responsibility for killing dozens of Malian soldiers as well as members of a Kremlin-controlled paramilitary force.

The hostilities began on Thursday in the northern Kidal region, following a military offensive initiated by the Malian army. According to the army’s statement, a logistics convoy belonging to the military was ambushed the following day, Friday. However, the army noted that the attack was successfully repelled.

The separatists stated that they had killed “dozens” of Malian soldiers along with fighters affiliated with the Kremlin-backed Africa Corps during the ambush. This incident marked an escalation in the long-standing conflict between the central government and the Azawad separatist movement.

The Azawad group has fought for many years to establish an independent state in northern Mali, known as Azawad. At one point, they managed to drive government security forces out of the region. Although a peace deal was signed in 2015, allowing for some former rebels to be integrated into the national army, the agreement has since collapsed.

In a statement, Mohamed Maouloud Ramadan, the spokesperson for the Azawad separatists, confirmed the death of three of their fighters. He also claimed that the group had seized 12 trucks loaded with food supplies, several diesel tankers, one military pickup truck, and an armored vehicle from a convoy of 30 vehicles.

Videos circulated by the separatists on social media appeared to show military trucks set ablaze in a wide expanse of desert terrain, with gunfire audible in the background. In the footage, armed young men with their faces covered posed in front of the burning vehicles. The videos also showed several bodies dressed in uniforms resembling those of the Malian military. However, the Associated Press stated that it could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos.

According to Rida Lyammouri, a Sahel region expert affiliated with the Morocco-based Policy Center for the New South, the clashes underscore the challenges faced by Malian security forces operating in the difficult terrain of Kidal. He explained that the inability to gather actionable intelligence puts military convoys at a significant disadvantage against armed groups.

The incident comes just days after Wagner, the Russian mercenary group that has supported Malian security forces in fighting insurgents for over three years, announced its departure from the country. Despite Wagner’s exit, the Africa Corps—an armed unit under the direct control of Russia’s defense ministry—has stated that it will continue to maintain a presence in Mali.

According to U.S. officials, there are an estimated 2,000 Russian mercenaries currently in Mali, though the exact number affiliated with Wagner versus the Africa Corps remains unclear.