MALI · GEOPOLITICS

Key Facts

—Coordinated assault: On July 4, 2026, fighters attacked army positions from Anefis, Aguelhoc and Gao in the north to Sévaré in central Mali and Kenioroba south of Bamako.

—Two fronts, one campaign: The Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) claimed the northern attacks, while the al-Qaeda-linked JNIM struck Sévaré and the Kati military base near the capital.

—Anefis contested: A regional official told Reuters that rebels control Anefis and took “many” soldiers prisoner. The army says the situation is “under control.”