Rebels Advance Amid Allegations of Insider Collusion in Mali Military

Separatist rebels in Mali have claimed control of a key military camp in the northern town of Tessalit, marking a major escalation in the country’s worsening security crisis. The development follows the reported withdrawal of Malian forces and their Russian allies from the area.

The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) said its fighters seized the camp, located near an airport and close to the Algerian border, after troops began pulling out earlier this week. The claim, announced by senior FLA commander Achafghi Ag Bouhanda in a video message, could not be independently verified due to limited access and poor connectivity in the region.

The capture of Tessalit comes days after the Malian military reportedly lost control of Kidal , a strategic northern city long contested by separatists. The recent wave of coordinated attacks described as the largest in over a decade has been carried out jointly by the FLA and the al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) .

Authorities in Bamako have also alleged internal complicity, with a military court stating there is “solid evidence” that some serving and former officers were involved in planning and executing the attacks, alongside political figures.

The offensive has extended beyond the north, with near-simultaneous assaults targeting multiple locations, including areas around the capital, Bamako. Militants have reportedly blocked major roads leading into the city, disrupting travel and trade, and worsening an ongoing fuel shortage.

Mali, under military rule since a 2020 coup led by Assimi Goita , has struggled for years with insurgencies by Islamist groups and separatist movements in the Sahel region. The government has pledged to intensify operations to reclaim lost territory and restore stability.

However, the latest setbacks highlight the fragile security situation in the West African nation.