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Mali’s army has announced the release of 82 soldiers who were held captive for more than three months by insurgent fighters and their Tuareg rebel allies.
In a statement read on state television on Thursday, the military said the soldiers had been detained following attacks launched in late April by fighters linked to the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) and the Tuareg rebels Azawad Liberation Front (FLA).
“This release is the culmination of a process initiated immediately after their capture following the attacks of April 25, 2026,” the army said.
The coordinated assaults saw the allied fighters seize control of the northern city of Kidal and kill Mali’s defence minister, in one of the most significant setbacks for the country’s military authorities.
FLA spokesman Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane confirmed that “around 80” Malian soldiers had been released, describing the move as a “strictly humanitarian” decision. However, he said the soldiers’ capture spanned a longer period, from 2023 to 2026.
A source at Mali’s foreign ministry told AFP that the release was facilitated through Algerian mediation, which helped broker the process between the parties involved.
The release comes after further clashes between the armed groups and Malian forces. In early July, the allied insurgents briefly captured the town of Anefis following intense fighting in the north.
Mali has faced a prolonged security crisis since 2012, with violence from armed groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and Islamic State, alongside criminal networks and separatist movements, destabilising large parts of the country.
The military took power after two coups in 2020 and 2021, pledging to restore security. However, attacks and instability have continued despite efforts by the junta-led government to regain control of affected regions.
