The Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) have intensified their multi-front campaign against jihadist and terrorist groups, signaling a shift towards more proactive, intelligence-driven operations. A detailed communiqué from the General Staff, dated December 30, 2025, outlines a series of coordinated strikes across four critical regions, revealing not just tactical successes but also the evolving nature of the threat and the military’s adapted response.
This operational tempo underscores a critical phase in Mali’s long-standing security crisis. Since the departure of international MINUSMA forces, the FAMa, often supported by the Russian Wagner Group (now the Africa Corps), have assumed full responsibility for territorial security. These recent actions demonstrate their attempt to fill the vacuum and assert sovereignty through kinetic force.
1. Fana Area: Disrupting Mobility and Infiltration
In the Fana area, a key transit zone south of the Niger River, aerial reconnaissance identified a high-value target: a column of approximately thirty terrorists on motorcycles en route to the Soussan forest. Motorcycles are the preferred mode of transport for groups like JNIM (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin) due to their ability to use off-road paths and blend into local traffic. The subsequent precision airstrike in the forest north of Falako achieved a significant tactical objective.
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Neutralizing such a large, mobile group in one engagement disrupts planned attacks, severs communication lines between cells, and destroys a logistically vital asset—their transport. This strike highlights the FAMa’s growing reliance on aerial surveillance and strike capabilities, likely involving drones or fighter aircraft, to target elusive enemies in difficult terrain.
2. Kidal Region: Denying Sanctuary and Foiling Ambushes
Operations in the restive Kidal region, a historic stronghold for Tuareg separatists and jihadists, focused on two distinct threats. First, in Amazerakane, forces preempted a cell attempting to hide and prepare an attack. This “surgical strike” suggests actionable human or signals intelligence was used to locate a specific, time-sensitive threat, moving beyond mere area control.
Second, a sophisticated threat was uncovered west of Télabit. Terrorists attempted to conceal a pick-up truck, a common tactic for transporting VBIEDs (Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices). The FAMa’s “thorough examination”—likely involving technical intelligence or ground patrols—confirmed the suspicion. The destructive secondary explosion upon striking the vehicle validated the intercept, preventing a potentially catastrophic suicide bombing against a military outpost or civilian market. This incident illustrates the dual nature of the threat: both conventional armed groups and asymmetric, terror-focused cells.
3. Timbuktu & Mopti Regions: Expanding the Pressure
South of Attara in the Timbuktu region, another aerial surveillance mission led to a successful engagement. Meanwhile, in the volatile Mopti region—the heart of the Dogon Country and a frequent flashpoint for communal violence—FAMa neutralized two armed groups near Nouh-Bozo and Diafarabé. This is particularly significant. Mopti’s conflict is complex, intertwining jihadist insurgency with inter-ethnic clashes. FAMa operations here must carefully distinguish between terrorist fighters and community self-defense militias, a nuance not detailed in the release but critical to long-term stability.
Strategic Context and Unanswered Questions
While the FAMa’s statement projects strength and “increasing responsiveness,” independent analysis requires caution. The term “neutralized” is deliberately broad, encompassing killed, captured, or dispersed fighters. The absence of reported FAMa casualties, while desirable, is atypical for such widespread engagements and raises questions about the completeness of the assessment.
The overarching strategy appears to be one of relentless pressure to deny terrorists safe haven, disrupt command chains, and degrade logistical networks. The General Staff’s vow of “no respite” aligns with this attrition-based approach. However, military action alone cannot resolve Mali’s crisis. Lasting security will also depend on parallel progress in governance, dialogue with non-terrorist armed groups, economic development, and restoring state legitimacy in marginalized regions.
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Through these strikes, the Malian state is sending a clear message of its military resolve. The operations showcase improved coordination and intelligence integration. Yet, the true measure of success will be whether this tactical momentum can be translated into strategic stability, protecting civilians and paving the way for a political solution to a conflict now well into its second decade.
Analysis by Coulibaly A
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