Mali’s military and its Russian allies have withdrawn from a key northern stronghold, handing a strategic advantage to rebel forces as violence escalates across the country.
Forces stationed at the Tessalit military base near the Algerian border abandoned the site on Friday, May 1, according to rebel sources and local officials, as Tuareg separatists and jihadist groups intensify a coordinated campaign against the ruling junta.
The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) said Malian troops had already evacuated before fighters entered the base, while a separate security source confirmed that Russian personnel had also left the area. No direct clashes were reported at the site.
Tessalit is considered a critical military installation due to its location in the far north and its airstrip, which can accommodate large aircraft. The base had previously housed significant numbers of troops and military equipment.
The retreat follows a series of large-scale attacks last weekend by the FLA and the Al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which targeted multiple government positions. During the offensive, rebels seized the northern town of Kidal and carried out attacks near the capital, Bamako. Malian forces were also reported to have abandoned another base in Aguelhok, about 100 kilometres south of Tessalit.
The recent violence has marked one of the most intense periods of conflict in Mali in more than a decade. At least 23 people were killed in the attacks, including Defence Minister Sadio Camara, who died following a car bomb explosion at his residence near Bamako.
The situation has also raised concerns about civilian safety. UNICEF said children were among those killed or injured, with reports of attacks on a health centre in Gao and the occupation of a school in the Mopti region by armed groups.
JNIM has also imposed blockades around Bamako, restricting movement in and out of the capital, further increasing pressure on the military government. Authorities in Mali have launched an investigation into the attacks, alleging that some current and former military personnel may have been involved, alongside claims linking exiled opposition figures to the planning.
In recent years, Mali has distanced itself from France and strengthened ties with Russia, while forming a regional alliance with Burkina Faso and Niger under the Alliance of Sahel States. The three countries say they have since carried out joint military operations in response to the growing insurgency.