What to know about the conflict in Mali

Key Points:

• Mali is experiencing its most severe security crisis in years as al-Qaida-linked militants (JNIM) and Tuareg separatist rebels (FLA) have formed a tactical alliance, leading to intensified attacks against the military and increased fatalities by 35% in early 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
• The JNIM, a powerful al-Qaida affiliate formed in 2017, operates widely across Mali and neighboring countries, presenting itself as an alternative authority where state presence is weak, while the FLA, established in 2024, seeks independence for northern Mali and reignited conflict after the junta withdrew from a 2015 peace accord.
• The Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) operates mainly in the Menaka region and pursues a more coercive agenda to establish an Islamic caliphate, often clashing violently with JNIM, reflecting the broader al-Qaida vs. Islamic State rivalry in the region.
• Mali's military junta, which took power in 2020 and expelled French forces in 2022, now relies on the Russian-backed Africa Corps paramilitary group to fight insurgents, though this group faces accusations of human rights abuses.
• Various smaller pro-government militias, including ethnic groups like the Dozo and some Tuareg factions, support the military, but alliances remain fluid amid the complex and evolving conflict dynamics in the Sahel.