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Mali probes soldiers suspected of involvement in military base attacks
TL;DR
Malian authorities are investigating soldiers linked to recent attacks on army bases, claimed by an al-Qaeda affiliate and separatists. Five suspects have been identified, including three active-duty soldiers.
Key points
- Malian authorities are investigating soldiers for attacks on army bases
- Five suspects identified, including active-duty and retired soldiers
- Attacks claimed by al-Qaeda affiliate and Tuareg separatists
- Defense minister killed during the coordinated assault
- Russian forces expelled from Kidal following the attacks
Mentioned in this story
al-QaedaJama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-MusliminLiberation Front for AzawadKidaldefense minister
Malian authorities say they are investigating soldiers suspected of involvement in a wave of simultaneous attacks on army bases across the country last week, claimed by an al-Qaeda affiliate and separatists.
A prosecutor at a military tribunal near the capital, Bamako, said in a statement on Friday that five suspects had been identified, including three active-duty soldiers, one retired person and a soldier who was killed in fighting near a Bamako army base.
“The first arrests have been successfully carried out, and all other perpetrators, co-perpetrators, and accomplices are actively being sought,” the statement said.
The coordinated assault on the morning of April 25 struck at the heart of the West African country’s military government, which took power after coups in 2020 and 2021.
The defence minister was killed and Russian forces backing the government were forced out of the northern town of Kidal, which al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and Tuareg separatists of the Liberation Front for Azawad (FLA) now control.
The violence has set off fighting across Mali’s vast desert north, raising the prospect of significant gains by armed groups that have shown an increasing willingness to strike neighbouring countries.
JNIM has called on Malians to rise up against the government and transition to Islamic law. The group has also pledged to besiege Bamako, and on Friday security sources told the Reuters news agency it had set up checkpoints around the city of four million.
Military leader Assimi Goita said in a televised address on Tuesday that the situation was under control and promised to “neutralise” the armed groups behind the attacks.
Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel programme at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a German think tank, said the “big test” will be whether the government can hold on to larger cities in the north, such as Timbuktu and Gao.
“If they also fall, then anything might happen,” Laessing told Al Jazeera.
Q&A
What happened during the military base attacks in Mali?
On April 25, a wave of simultaneous attacks on army bases occurred in Mali, claimed by an al-Qaeda affiliate and separatists.
Who are the suspects being investigated for the attacks in Mali?
Five suspects have been identified, including three active-duty soldiers, one retired soldier, and one soldier killed in the fighting.
What impact did the attacks have on Mali's military government?
The attacks struck at the core of Mali's military government, resulting in the death of the defense minister and the expulsion of Russian forces from Kidal.
