Mali: Separatists release around 20 soldiers from captivity
The Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front in Mali have released around 20 Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) soldiers from captivity.
Despite escalating tensions in Mali between the junta, jihadists and Tuareg separatists, around 20 soldiers have been released from captivity by Tuareg militants, according to RFI and agencies on August 24th.
On August 23rd, around 20 soldiers were released by the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) in exchange for “prisoners of war.”
An FLA spokesperson indicated that the soldiers’ release came in exchange for the release of several “civilians” detained in Bamako.
However, the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) did not mention “civilians”; instead, a security source mentioned the release of “at least eight FLA fighters.”
Some of the soldiers had been held captive for over three years; others were captured following coordinated attacks by the FLA and the al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM on April 25th.
Kidal, a northern Tuareg stronghold, was recaptured by the FLA; since April 25th, JNIM and FLA rebels have intensified attacks across Mali.
Since April 25th, FLA rebels have claimed to hold over 200 FAMA troops hostage in Kidal, after the Russian Africa Corps negotiated their exit from Kidal, abandoning the FAMA troops.
The soldiers’ release comes amid similar initiatives across Mali in the last 10 days.
On August 13th, 82 soldiers were released from captivity by JNIM and the FLA; they had been held hostage since April 25th
Between August 13th and 14th, JNIM released around 60 civilian hostages, who were reportedly kidnapped in areas under JNIM occupation.
Negotiations between JNIM and delegates from villages helped secure the civilians’ liberation; villages often reach agreements with jihadists to avoid targeted attacks.
Furthermore, on August 16th, another six wounded soldiers were released from captivity.
On August 20th, two former fighters from Russia’s Wagner Group, which now operates under the Russian Africa Corps name, were released after two years in captivity.
The Russian mercenaries were captured while fighting FLA and JNIM militants in Tinzaouatène, near the Algerian border, on July 27th, 2024.
FLA rebels have waged war against Malian authorities since their latest uprising in 2012; they are fighting for independence and autonomy for a northern Malian region they call Azawad.
In recent years, the FLA have allied with JNIM, which seeks to destabilise Mali’s junta and impose an Islamic Republic governed by Sharia law.
RFI and agencies, Maghrebi.org
Want to chase the pulse of North Africa?
Subscribe to receive our FREE weekly PDF magazine
