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Mali’s military, alongside Russian mercenaries, was forced to surrender the strategically crucial Tessalit camp on Friday, marking a significant victory for rebel forces in the ongoing battle to dismantle the country’s junta.
The camp, located in northern Mali near the Algerian border, has long been a stronghold due to its geographic importance and a well-maintained airstrip that accommodates military aircraft.
A representative from the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) confirmed to AFP that the soldiers and mercenaries stationed at the camp surrendered without a fight, echoing the earlier fall of Kidal, another northern stronghold taken by the rebels just days before.
“The troops and mercenaries at Tessalit just surrendered, as they did in Kidal,” the FLA official said.
An official from the Tuareg-dominated Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) said soldiers and mercenaries at the “super-camp” had “just surrendered as they did in Kidal”, referring to a key northern town seized at the weekend by the rebels and their Islamist allies. (Photo by Gousno / AFP)
The fall of Tessalit is the latest in a series of coordinated attacks by the FLA and insurgents from the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM). The two groups have united in their efforts to overthrow the junta that has ruled Mali since 2020. JNIM, in particular, has been vocal about the need for cooperation among various factions to dismantle the current government.
A security source in Gao reported that there were no clashes during the surrender, with regular troops already having evacuated the area when the rebels entered.
A local official also confirmed that the Russian mercenaries had vacated the camp, leaving behind both Malian forces and significant military equipment.
The larger offensive that brought down Tessalit and other key junta positions last weekend is being called the most significant assault on Mali in nearly 15 years. It resulted in at least 23 deaths, including the killing of Mali’s defence minister, Sadio Camara, further destabilising the junta’s grip on power.
