Mali’s conflict has taken a brutal new turn since the military shift of April 25. The national army, alongside Russian instructors from Africa Corps, and jihadist insurgents have all intensified violence. Beyond the immediate casualties, a deliberate economic strangulation campaign is pushing civilians into severe hardship.
The spiral of violence after the fall of Kidal
Spring 2026 marked a major breaking point. On April 25, a combined action by jihadists of the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (Jnim) and separatists of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) resulted in the capture of Kidal and the killing of Defence Minister Sadio Camara. This defeat triggered a massive counteroffensive by the central government. The Malian Armed Forces (FAMa), backed by Russian Africa Corps instructors, launched a high-intensity campaign. While authorities keep the human cost secret, field data shows at least 13 civilians dead and 25 wounded in initial clashes in Gao and Kidal.
The fuel war: economy as a target
Jnim’s strategy shifted to economic terrorism. To pressure Bamako, Al-Qaeda-linked networks impose strict road blockades to cut logistics lifelines. Commercial transport is the primary target. Between May 6 and 21, over 40 civilian transport vehicles heading to the capital were intercepted and burned. More structurally, systematic targeting of fuel tankers since September 2025 has cost drivers’ lives and paralysed distribution networks. This logistical strangulation deprives large parts of the country of electricity and fuel, causing school closures and halting local market activity.
The insurgents also use targeted terror, such as the public execution of a resident in Tonka, near Timbuktu, to deter resistance.
- Jnim tactics: road blockades → energy shortages & inflation
- FAMa/Russia response: indiscriminate drone raids → displacement and civilian losses
Civilians targeted by the Bamako-Moscow alliance
The response of FAMa and Africa Corps also causes heavy civilian losses. Systematic abuses occur during security operations in central Mali, where Fulani communities are wrongly associated with insurgent movements. Between May 14 and 17 alone, 38 civilians were killed during ground incursions, including 23 minors. Additionally, the tragic cost of latest-generation drone strikes: on April 25 in Guimbé, an airstrike killed 12 children and teenagers; on May 17 in Téné, a strike hit a wedding ceremony, leaving 10 civilians dead.
Justifications and lack of dialogue
When questioned about its targets and the economic asphyxiation, Jnim’s leadership responded to investigators, claiming that targeted civilians refused to submit to the group’s decrees in its zones of influence. On the Malian state side, the Ministry of Justice remained silent, ignoring requests for clarification from human rights defenders.
Call for an international inquiry
These flagrant violations of international humanitarian law, which strictly prohibits non-selective attacks on non-combatants, are met with impunity — the main obstacle to peace. A Sahel specialist noted that this historical lack of accountability fuels Mali’s tragedy. Without the oversight mechanisms of the former UN mission, the country sinks into arbitrariness. Rights groups now urge the African Union and the United Nations to urgently sponsor a fact-finding mission to collect material evidence for future criminal proceedings.
