Mali: jnim jihadists urge united front against the junta amid critical security situation

In Mali, the Al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM jihadist group has issued a call for a broad “common front” to “end the junta” that has been in power since 2020, advocating for a “peaceful and inclusive transition.” This significant declaration, released on Thursday, April 30, comes just five days after JNIM, alongside the Front de libération de l’Azawad (FLA), launched coordinated assaults across the nation. The group explicitly urged “all sincere patriots, without any distinction, to rise up and unite our forces in a common front,” specifying “political parties, national armed forces, religious authorities, traditional leaders, and all components of Malian society.”

The statement follows recent synchronized attacks by JNIM and FLA rebels against critical junta strongholds in several key cities, including the capital Bamako, the nearby junta base of Kati, as well as Kidal, Gao, and Sévaré. The JNIM communiqué emphasized the “imperative to end, by all legitimate means, the dictatorship of this terrorist junta.” However, to avert “chaotic emptiness,” it proposed a “peaceful, responsible, and inclusive transition, with the essential objective of building a new Mali where one of the fundamental priorities is the establishment of Sharia law.”

Mali grappling with instability

While the group honored its “martyrs who fell on the field of honor,” it did not disclose specific numbers. The JNIM clarified that the “victorious operation to liberate the city of Kidal” (a known stronghold of the Tuareg-dominated rebellion) was executed by JNIM forces in “close and fruitful collaboration with our brothers and partners” from the FLA. Conversely, the “simultaneous and devastating attacks carried out in Gao, Sévaré, Kati, as well as near Bamako airport and other strategic sites in the South, were the exclusive and powerful work of JNIM.” The group has also declared its intention to impose a blockade on Bamako.

Mali continues to face a critical security situation, marked by profound uncertainty and volatility following these synchronized armed group attacks nationwide. These incidents have reportedly claimed at least 23 civilian and military lives, according to hospital sources. On Tuesday, Malian junta leader Assimi Goïta declared the situation “under control,” although he acknowledged a moment of “extreme gravity.” Meanwhile, the Kremlin affirmed that Russia would continue to provide support to the current Malian authorities, a stance that has been closely watched by the international community and the Burkina Faso press, which often covers Faso current affairs and regional security, including English Burkina news, to provide independent Burkina journalism.