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The joint military force of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali carried out air raids on Malian territory following the largest assault on Mali in nearly 15 years, Niger’s government announced late Thursday.
The attacks over the weekend, carried out by Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists and Tuareg separatist allies, saw the key northern town of Kidal fall and Defence Minister Sadio Camara killed.
According to Niger’s government, the unified force responded quickly and forcefully.
In a statement issued after a cabinet meeting, authorities said they welcomed “the prompt and vigorous response of the units of the unified force… which conducted intense air campaigns in the hours following the cowardly attacks of April 25, 2026, in Gao, Menaka and Kidal.”
The three neighbouring countries form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a bloc run by military juntas that seized power between 2020 and 2023. The AES had created a 5,000-strong joint force to fight jihadist groups, which was boosted to 15,000 in mid-April.
Hours after the fighting started, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, spokesperson for the Malian Tuareg rebels of the Azawad Liberation Front, urged Burkina Faso and Niger “to stay out of the events underway in Mali.”
At Camara’s funeral on Thursday, Burkina Faso’s Defence Minister Celestin Simpore, speaking for the AES, promised to track down the “assassins.”
AFP was not able to independently verify the claim, which was made as the country’s ruling junta reported that the army was fighting off attacks across the country. Intense gunfire had been heard in Kidal earlier in the day.
The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) said in a facebook message that “the city of Kidal has passed under the control of our armed forces”. (Photo by Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP)
On the same day, about 1,000 people gathered in Niger’s capital, Niamey, to show solidarity with Mali, according to social media footage.
The crowd at the Djado Sekou Cultural Center chanted slogans including “down with the imperialists,” “down with the terrorists and their sponsors” and “long live the AES.” A large photo of Camara was displayed above the gathering.
Effred Mouloul, a representative of the civil society coalition that organised the event, said, “To the Malian people, we say: ‘You are not alone, the active forces of Niger and of the AES stand by your side and express their full and complete solidarity.'”
He also criticised African leaders for what he called a “total lack of visible solidarity in the face of the targeted assassination” of Mali’s leaders and demanded the removal of French forces from AES territory.
Niger’s government has accused outside powers, mainly France, of backing the weekend attacks. Niger has repeatedly alleged that France is trying to destabilise it, an accusation Paris has denied.
Meanwhile, Niger cancelled its May 1 parades nationwide for security reasons.
