Mali: Fresh clashes erupt between Tuareg rebels, government forces in Kidal
Fresh fighting has broken out in the strategic northern Malian city of Kidal between Tuareg rebels and government forces backed by Russian mercenaries. Tuareg rebels from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) said clashes resumed on Sunday as they tried to “drive out the last Russian fighters” who had taken refuge in a military camp in the city. A local elected official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that residents heard sustained gunfire as Malian troops, Russian personnel and Tuareg fighters exchanged shots. Kidal, a historic Tuareg stronghold, was retaken by the Malian army in November 2023 with support from Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group, ending more than a decade of de facto rebel control. The FLA now claims to have seized the city again and says it has also captured positions in the northern Gao region. The renewed clashes follow a […]
