Malian forces take control of the important rebel stronghold in Kidal, according to the army.

The Malian army has announced that it has taken control of Kidal, an important town in the northern part of the country that has been occupied by Tuareg rebels for almost ten years. Kidal has been a stronghold for the Tuareg and has played a significant role in the long-standing political and security crises in Mali. The army, reportedly supported by mercenaries from the Wagner group, has been engaged in a three-day battle to retake Kidal. However, the head of the country's junta has stated that the mission is not yet complete. Col Assimi Goita, Mali's interim president, has emphasized that his objective is to ensure the country's territorial integrity and has called on civilians in Kidal to remain calm. The separatist Tuareg group has yet to respond to the army's announcement. The Malian army has reported that its advances towards Kidal were faced with minor skirmishes from a coalition of terrorist armed groups. The central government in Mali lost control of much of the northern region over ten years ago due to a Tuareg rebellion that initially sought the establishment of a separate country. The situation became more complicated with the involvement of Islamist militants, leading to continued instability and three coups since 2012. An agreement signed in 2015 was supposed to integrate the largely Tuareg separatists into the army and transfer control of Kidal to the Malian government. However, neither of these actions was implemented. French troops joined forces with the Malian government in 2013 to combat the Islamist militants. Nevertheless, due to the failure to resolve the issue, the current military leadership has rejected French assistance, and the last French soldiers left Mali in 2022. The junta has sought support from the Russian mercenary group Wagner, although the presence of these fighters has not been officially acknowledged by the authorities. Additionally, the UN peacekeeping mission is withdrawing from Mali, leaving vacant bases that rebels and Islamist fighters are attempting to seize.