Mali junta loses key northern base Tessalit as rebels kill defence minister

Mali’s army and Russian mercenaries surrendered the strategic Tessalit super‑camp near the Algerian border on Friday after Tuareg separatists (FLA) and jihadists (JNIM) launched large‑scale attacks last weekend that killed defence minister Sadio Camara and seized the town of Kidal. No clashes occurred at Tessalit; regular troops had already evacuated and the Russians abandoned their position. The nearby Aguelhok base was also abandoned. Tessalit hosts France‑built colonial airstrip capable of handling helicopters and large aircraft, giving its holders a panoramic view of the Sahara. The loss weakens Mali’s junta, which faces a unified rebel front and has formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) with Burkina Faso and Niger, claiming a joint force of 15,000. Niger said it conducted intense air campaigns after the attacks. UNICEF reported civilians and children killed or injured, with wounded children treated locally, a health centre in Gao attacked and a school in Mopti occupied by weapon bearers alongside an explosive device. A Bamako military prosecutor’s investigation alleges several active‑duty and former military personnel helped plan the attacks and names exiled opposition politician Oumar Mariko as involved. Earlier, JNIM tried to cripple Mali’s economy by blocking petrol and diesel shipments from Ivory Coast and Senegal.

With Mali’s northern bases falling and jihadists tightening their grip, should Nigeria bolster border intelligence, prepare for possible refugee flows, or support regional efforts to curb jihadist expansion?

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2026/05/02/rebels-seize-key-military-base-in-malis-north/