Mali

Background reviewed 2026-10-23 · Background as of 2026-10

Background

Conflict in Mali began in 2012 with a Tuareg separatist rebellion in the north, quickly followed by the takeover of northern towns by jihadist groups. French intervention in 2013 pushed them back, but armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State spread into central Mali and neighbouring countries.

The military seized power in 2020 and again in 2021, ended its cooperation with France and asked the UN mission MINUSMA to leave by the end of 2023, turning instead to Russian military support. From September 2025 the al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM imposed a blockade on fuel deliveries, causing severe shortages, and in 2026 it threatened to blockade the capital Bamako.

History

Mali became independent from France in 1960. Tuareg rebellions in the north occurred in the 1960s, 1990s and 2000s, driven by grievances over marginalisation and development. Many fighters who had served in Libya returned with weapons after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, contributing to the 2012 rebellion.

French forces intervened in January 2013 to stop an advance by jihadist groups, and the UN mission MINUSMA was deployed the same year. The 2015 Algiers peace agreement with northern armed groups was only partly implemented. Military coups in 2020 and 2021 brought a junta to power that ended military cooperation with France, asked MINUSMA to leave in 2023 and turned to Russia for security support. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger later formed the Alliance of Sahel States.

Main parties

Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) — Supported by Russian forces (the Wagner group until 2025, then Russia’s Africa Corps).
JNIM — Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, affiliated with al-Qaeda.
Islamic State Sahel Province — Active mainly in the Ménaka region and border areas.
Northern armed movements — Mainly Tuareg-led groups that signed the 2015 peace agreement, which the government terminated in January 2024.

Key dates

2012-01 — A Tuareg-led rebellion begins in the north.
2013-01-11 — France launches a military intervention.
2015-06-20 — The Algiers peace agreement is completed.
2020-08-18 — The military overthrows President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.
2021-05-24 — A second coup consolidates military rule.
2023-09-16 — Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
2023-12-31 — The UN mission MINUSMA ends.
2025-01-29 — The withdrawal of the three AES states from ECOWAS takes effect.
2025-09 — JNIM begins a blockade of fuel supplies.

Humanitarian situation

Insecurity has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and closed many schools and health centres in the north and centre. The fuel blockade from 2025 has disrupted transport, electricity and the movement of food and aid.

How to read reports about Mali

Information from the north and centre is limited by restrictions on journalists; many reports rely on local or armed-group statements.

Recent events

Loading…