Sahel states alliance launches joint air campaigns in Mali

The tri-nation anti-jihadist coalition, known as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which includes Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, conducted extensive aerial operations within Malian territory. This decisive action followed a series of aggressive assaults by al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadists and Tuareg separatist factions, as confirmed by the government of Niger late on Thursday.

Over the preceding weekend, jihadist groups, alongside their Tuareg separatist allies, initiated the most significant offensive Mali had experienced in nearly fifteen years. These coordinated attacks led to the capture of Kidal, a strategically important northern town, and tragically resulted in the death of Defence Minister Sadio Camara.

Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, all neighboring African nations, form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). This alliance established a unified force dedicated to combating jihadist groups, initially comprising 5,000 personnel and later expanded to 15,000 by mid-April.

Following a cabinet meeting on Thursday evening, Nigerien authorities issued a statement expressing their commendation for “the swift and robust response demonstrated by the unified force’s units… which executed intensive air campaigns within hours of the cowardly attacks on April 25, 2026, targeting Gao, Menaka, and Kidal.”

Earlier, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front, a Malian Tuareg rebel group, had urged Burkina Faso and Niger “to refrain from involvement in the ongoing events in Mali” just hours after the initial attacks commenced.

All three member states of the AES are currently governed by military juntas, having come to power through coups d’état between 2020 and 2023.

The recent assaults targeting the Malian military junta and its Russian paramilitary allies have plunged the former French colony into an exacerbated security crisis.

During Minister Camara’s funeral on Thursday, Burkina Faso’s Defence Minister, Celestin Simpore, speaking on behalf of the AES, solemnly pledged to “pursue and eliminate” the perpetrators of these acts.

‘Regional Solidarity’

On the same day, approximately one thousand individuals convened in Niamey, the capital of Niger, to demonstrate “solidarity with the Malian populace,” as captured in live social media broadcasts of the event.

At the Djado Sekou Cultural Center, attendees vociferously chanted slogans such as “down with the imperialists,” “down with the terrorists and their sponsors,” and “long live the AES,” while a photograph of the late Minister Camara was prominently displayed.

Effred Mouloul, representing the coalition of civil society organizations that orchestrated the gathering, conveyed a message to the Malian people: “You are not isolated; the active forces of Niger and the AES stand in unwavering support, expressing their full and complete solidarity.”

Mouloul criticized African leaders for a “conspicuous absence of visible solidarity in the face of the targeted assassination” of Malian leaders and advocated for the complete withdrawal of French military presence from AES territories.

Nigerien authorities have previously accused external powers, particularly France, of supporting the weekend’s attacks in Mali. Niger has also consistently alleged that France seeks to destabilize the region, an accusation Paris firmly denies.

For security considerations, the government of Niger announced the cancellation of all May 1 parades across the nation.