A judicial official in Mali revealed on Friday that authorities are investigating soldiers suspected of playing a role in coordinated attacks launched by Al-Qaeda-linked militants and Tuareg separatist rebels on military bases across the country early last week. The list of potential accomplices includes three serving soldiers, a retired soldier, and another who had previously been “discharged” and killed in a clash near the main military base in Kati, in an indication of the scale of the security breach that shook the ruling military authority.

Published on: 05/02/2026 - 15:17 Last updated: 05/03/2026 - 12:25

A judicial official in Mali said that authorities are investigating soldiers suspected of playing a role in coordinated attacks by Al-Qaeda-linked militants and Tuareg separatist rebels on military bases across the country early last week.

A statement issued by prosecutors at the military court in Bamako and broadcast on state television late on Friday said the list of possible accomplices included three serving soldiers, a retired soldier and another who had previously been “demobilized” and was killed in a clash near the country’s main military base in Kati, 15 kilometers from the capital, Bamako.

“The first arrests were successfully carried out, and all other criminals, participants and accomplices are being actively searched for,” the statement said, without specifying how many suspects have been identified or detained.

Defeat of military authority

The simultaneous attacks that began on the morning of April 25 demonstrated the ability of fighters from different groups with different goals to strike at the heart of the military authority in the West African country, which took power after two coups in 2020 and 2021. The Defense Minister was killed and Russian forces supporting the government were forced to withdraw from the town of Kidal in the north.

Analysts say the attacks have sparked clashes in various parts of Mali's vast desert north, raising the prospect of significant gains for armed groups that have shown an increasing willingness to launch attacks on neighboring countries and may eventually set their sights further afield.

Threats to besiege the capital

Al-Qaeda-linked insurgents, belonging to what is known as the “Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims,” called on citizens to rise up against the government and move to implementing Islamic law. They pledged to besiege Bamako, and security sources reported on Friday that the group had set up checkpoints around the capital, which has a population of about four million people.

Mali's military commander, Assimi Goita, said in a televised speech on Tuesday that the situation was under control, and pledged to "neutralize" the rebel groups behind the attacks.

France 24/Reuters

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