Mali’s significant bounty on Iyad Ag Ghaly and other militant leaders

Malian authorities have announced a substantial reward, reaching up to 2 billion FCFA, for information leading to the capture of Iyad Ag Ghaly, the prominent leader of the Sahelian jihadist group JNIM, and several of his associates. This significant move comes in response to their alleged involvement in recent acts of terrorism, particularly following the coordinated attacks on Kidal and Kati by jihadist and separatist forces of the FLA less than two months ago.

In an official statement released by General Daoud Aly Mouhammedine, Mali’s Minister of Security and Civil Protection, the government has called upon the public to actively collaborate with the armed and security forces. The aim is to locate seven individuals identified as critical threats to national security.

Mali’s declared commitment to national security

“As part of the fight against terrorism and the preservation of national security, the Government of the Republic of Mali informs the public that a financial reward is offered to anyone providing reliable, relevant, and actionable information enabling the arrest or neutralization of the individuals named below,” stated the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection’s communiqué, broadcast on state television.

The Malian authorities have specifically allocated a reward of 2 billion CFA francs for the capture of jihadist leader Iyad Ag Ghaly, who heads Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), also known as the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM).

Additionally, bounties of 1.5 billion CFA francs each are offered for Amadou Koufa, leader of Katiba Macina, and Abdoulaye Mohamed, known as Habib, also from Katiba Macina.

Algabas Ag Intallah, a key political and military figure within the Front de Libération de l’Azawad (FLA), has a 1 billion CFA franc bounty on his head.

Rounding out the list are three other leaders from the Front de Libération de l’Azawad: Ghita, Bilal Chérif, and Abderrahmane Al Banna, each with a 500 million CFA franc reward for their capture.

This decisive action follows the devastating coordinated attacks on April 25, orchestrated by JNIM jihadists and FLA separatists, which tragically resulted in the death of Mali’s Defense Minister, Sadio Camara.

The background of Iyad Ag Ghaly

Born in 1958 in Boghassa, located in Mali’s northern Kidal region, Iyad Ag Ghaly is a pivotal figure, known as both a Tuareg warlord and a Malian jihadist.

During the 1970s, he sought refuge in Libya, where, like many young Tuaregs of his generation, he joined Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s forces, engaging in conflicts in Lebanon and Chad.

Upon his return to Mali in the early 1990s, he established the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MPLA), initiating the Tuareg rebellion. He also played a key role in forming the Popular Movement of Azawad (MPA), which he led in clashes against the Malian state before signing a peace accord in 1992.

Ag Ghaly’s path increasingly turned towards Islamism and jihadism, leading to his radicalization and alliance with the GSPC, a group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, in 2007. This group later evolved into Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

In 2012, Iyad Ag Ghaly founded the Salafist jihadist group Ansar Dine, aligning it with AQIM’s fight. Five years later, in 2017, he established and assumed leadership of the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM), a coalition of several Malian jihadist factions that pledged allegiance to AQIM and Al-Qaeda.

According to the Timbuktu Institute, Iyad Ag Ghaly has emerged as “the most wanted man in the Sahel and the greatest threat to the Malian government.”

“In recent months, this rebel leader has shifted his warfare tactics. Instead of merely engaging the army on the battlefield, he now employs an ‘economic blockade’ strategy,” noted the think tank, directed by Dr. Bakary Sambe. “By severing key roads and destroying vital infrastructure like power lines, he aims to cut off the capital from food, fuel, and energy supplies. His objective is to make life unbearable for residents, thereby weakening the nation from within,” the Timbuktu Institute emphasized in one of its publications.

Based on analyses from regional specialists, the Timbuktu Institute suggests that Ag Ghaly’s ultimate goal is purely political: to isolate the current regime in Bamako and instigate its downfall, rather than to directly govern Mali. “He would likely prefer to operate from the shadows, controlling the situation remotely. For the government, this poses an extremely grave threat. The conflict is no longer confined to military fronts but directly impacts the daily lives of Malians, compelling the authorities to urgently devise new solutions to safeguard the country’s heartland,” the Timbuktu Institute argued.

An international arrest warrant has been active against Iyad Ag Ghaly for several years, issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which accuses him of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed between 2012 and 2013.

JNIM, affiliated with Al-Qaeda, stands as one of the most active jihadist groups in the Sahel, spreading terror across Mali, as well as neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso, which together form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). This regional threat underscores the broader challenges to West Africa security.

In a related security measure, authorities have implemented a ban on medium and large displacement motorcycles, which are more powerful and faster, while smaller engine bikes remain unaffected. The government has also imposed a one-year suspension on the import and sale of motorcycles and spare parts. Merchants are granted a three-month period to declare their existing stock, failing which undeclared motorcycles will be subject to seizure by the authorities.