Sahel alliance launches coordinated air campaigns against malian insurgents

The combined anti-jihadist forces of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali have executed “intense air campaigns” within Malian borders, as confirmed by Niger’s government late Thursday. These operations came in direct response to recent incursions by al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadists and Tuareg separatist factions.

Just days prior, jihadist groups, alongside their Tuareg separatist partners, initiated Mali’s most significant assault in almost fifteen years. This offensive resulted in the seizure of the crucial northern city of Kidal and the tragic death of Defence Minister Sadio Camara.

These three West African nations—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—constitute the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The AES established a unified force dedicated to combating jihadist organizations, initially comprising 5,000 personnel, which was then bolstered to 15,000 by mid-April.

Following a cabinet meeting on Thursday evening, Nigerien authorities expressed their approval for “the swift and decisive intervention by the unified force’s units.” These forces “executed powerful aerial operations within hours of the audacious assaults on April 25, 2026, targeting Gao, Menaka, and Kidal.”

Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, representing the Malian Tuareg rebels from the Azawad Liberation Front, had urged both Burkina Faso and Niger to “remain disengaged from the unfolding situation in Mali” mere hours after the initial attacks commenced.

All three member states of the AES are presently governed by military juntas, each having seized control through coups d’état occurring between 2020 and 2023.

These recent aggressions targeting the Malian military junta and its Russian paramilitary allies have propelled the former French colony into a severe security predicament.

During Camara’s funeral on Thursday, Burkina Faso’s Defence Minister, Celestin Simpore, speaking for the AES, pledged to “pursue and apprehend” those responsible for the “assassination.”

regional solidarity

On the same day, approximately one thousand individuals convened in Niamey, the capital of Niger, to demonstrate their “solidarity with the Malian populace.” This gathering was documented by live footage circulated across social media platforms.

Attendees at the Djado Sekou Cultural Center vociferously chanted slogans including “down with the imperialists,” “down with the terrorists and their backers,” and “long live the AES,” as a photograph of Camara was prominently exhibited above them.

Effred Mouloul, a spokesperson for the coalition of civil society organizations that orchestrated the event, conveyed this message: “To the people of Mali, we declare: ‘You are not isolated. The dynamic forces of Niger and the entire AES stand firmly with you, offering their unwavering and absolute solidarity.'”

Mouloul criticized African leaders for their “utter absence of discernible solidarity following the targeted killing” of Malian officials. He further advocated for the complete withdrawal of French military presence from territories controlled by the AES.

Nigerien authorities have leveled accusations against external powers, notably France, alleging their sponsorship of the weekend’s aggressions within Mali. Niger has consistently contended that France aims to destabilize the nation, an assertion which Paris vehemently refutes.

For heightened security precautions, the government of Niger has announced the cancellation of all May 1st parades across the nation.