Mali Army Regains Control of Anefis After Nearly a Week of Fighting with Rebels

Mali's armed forces have regained control of Anefis in the north after nearly a week of intense fighting, both Tuareg rebels and army sources confirmed on Friday.

The attack on Anefis, launched last Saturday, was a coordinated effort by the Al Qaeda-linked group JNIM and the Tuareg separatist group FLA. The town is located about 100 kilometers from Kidal, which rebels seized two months ago. Although the rebels claimed to have taken Anefis, they failed to capture the army camp there.

A Malian army contingent and Russian African Corps mercenaries remained in the camp and defended it until reinforcements arrived from Gao on Thursday evening, regaining control of the town. A FLA representative said the separatists decided to withdraw from Anefis for strategic reasons to avoid civilian casualties.

In late April, JNIM and FLA launched a large-scale offensive, capturing the strategic northern town of Kidal and killing Mali's defense minister. Mali has been in a deep security crisis since 2012, fueled by violence from groups linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State, as well as local criminal gangs and separatists.

Mali's junta, like those in neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso, has cut ties with former colonial power France and moved closer to Moscow. The Russian African Corps, overseen by Russia's Defense Ministry, is the successor to the Wagner mercenary group.