In Mali, two rebel groups seized the town of Kidal on Sunday. They took control of several infrastructures, including a drone piloting station abandoned by the Malian army.

Published on: 04/30/2026 - 11:36

Since the capture of the Malian town of Kidal by the separatists of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and the jihadists of the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (Jnim), videos of the fighters have been appearing on Facebook at a frantic pace. The rebels film themselves in front of destroyed or captured armored vehicles.

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Some machines belong to the Africa Corps - the Russian paramilitary group which took over from Wagner's mercenaries - others to the Malian armed forces.

Among the images taken by the rebel groups, one of them particularly attracts attention. This is a mobile drone piloting station. A video shows the arsenal that the Malian Armed Forces had to hold the north of the country.

Read alsoMali: Africa Corps entangled in the war of images after its defeat in Kidal

Unprecedented loot in the military base

Once they returned to the Kidal military base, the rebel groups discovered unprecedented loot. A sand-colored container, protected by a fence, is placed on a truck. The fighter filming enters the container. We then discover three screens, racks of computer equipment and control joysticks.

This is a GCS for Ground Control Station, a mobile cockpit that allows operators to guide a military drone from the ground. Known throughout northern Mali, these flying machines are operated by the Malian army. Made in Turkey, they are called TB2, or Akinci, depending on the model. These drones, capable of carrying out reconnaissance and area surveillance as well as firing guided bombs, have been used in particular in strikes against civilian populations, such as the village of Amasrakad in March 2024.

Also read: The drone and the Koran: exclusive investigation into Turkish power in Africa

The position of the different elements filmed in the images of the Kidal base corresponds to that of the screens and joysticks present in the documentation of Baykar, the Turkish company which equips the Malian armed forces with military drones.

This same model of piloting center was also filmed by the Mali Radio and Television Office (ORTM) in 2022, during a report on the use of Turkish TB2 drones by the Malian armed forces.

According to the Baykar company, the container would be an ACE III type shelter, a category of container specially designed for operations and meeting NATO standards. This container acts like a Faraday cage and cuts off all electromagnetic signals inside.

This video also shows the presence of several antennas. The latter are similar to those present in a photo of the Polish army, which then announced the acquisition of TB2 drones.

While it is difficult to determine the exact role of this element in piloting drones, online investigator Perma claims that it could be a signal relay. This machine appears in the catalog of the Turkish company Denge Airport Equipment.

If the rebel groups seized the drone control station, no images show them in possession of the TB2 drones. According to local sources, the drone pilot station was the target of a bombing but it is impossible to verify the extent of the damage caused.

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