Fresh fighting broke out on Sunday in Kidal, northern Mali, between Tuareg rebels and government forces reportedly backed by Russian mercenaries, according to local sources.
The renewed violence follows coordinated attacks launched a day earlier by jihadist fighters linked to Al-Qaeda alongside Tuareg rebel groups against military positions across the country.
The Azawad Liberation Front claimed it had taken control of Kidal on Saturday with support from allied fighters, signalling a major escalation in the protracted conflict.
A spokesperson for the rebels, Mohamed Ramdane, said the group had resumed hostilities in a bid to dislodge remaining foreign fighters believed to have retreated into a military camp.
A local official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that gunfire was heard across the city as clashes intensified between the Malian Armed Forces, allied Russian elements and the rebels.
Kidal, a long-standing Tuareg stronghold, was recaptured by government troops in November 2023 with the support of the Wagner Group, ending years of rebel control.
The rebel coalition also claimed advances in parts of the northern Gao region.
Mali has faced over a decade of insurgency and instability, but the latest attacks are considered among the most severe since the military takeover in 2020.
Authorities said Saturday’s assaults, which targeted areas around the capital, Bamako, and other towns, left at least 16 people injured, including civilians and security personnel, while causing limited damage.
The government, however, maintained that the situation remained under control.
Reacting to the development, António Guterres condemned the violence and called for coordinated international support to tackle terrorism and humanitarian challenges in the Sahel region.
