In a statement released Tuesday, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a coalition of Tuareg and northern separatist groups, said it would carry out a “controlled withdrawal” from Kidal, a strategic town in northern Mali. The move comes six months after the FLA captured the town and amid fresh air strikes by Mali’s military, which is backed by Russian paramilitaries.
According to the FLA, the withdrawal is a temporary operational measure designed to preserve its human and logistical capabilities. The statement added that the methodical retreat occurred without any direct combat between FLA forces and the enemy.
Mali’s military announced large‑scale air and ground operations around Kidal earlier on Tuesday, aiming to track down and neutralise armed groups, destroy their supply networks and restore lasting security and free movement for people and goods. Pro‑government fighters, including Russian paramilitaries, re‑entered Kidal in the afternoon, a security source said.
The conflict in Mali has raged since 2012, when a Tuareg separatist rebellion was overtaken by al‑Qaeda‑linked Islamist militants who later formed Jama’at Nusrat al‑Islam wal‑Muslimin (JNIM) in 2017. While the FLA presents itself as a secular nationalist movement seeking independence for the Azawad region, JNIM is an al‑Qaeda‑affiliated group. The two sides have set ideological differences aside to confront the Malian government.
The Malian military, which seized power in a 2021 coup, has pledged to restore order and unity. It says it is working to dismantle what it calls a “terrorist alliance” between the FLA and JNIM. Since the joint offensive launched by the FLA and JNIM in April, attacks on government forces have escalated.
Observers note that the FLA’s withdrawal may be a strategic pause to regroup as the government intensifies its campaign against insurgent groups in the north.
