The Al-Qaïda-affiliated jihadist group JNIM has called for a broad “common front” to “end the junta” that has held power in Mali since 2020. In a declaration issued on Thursday, April 30, the group advocated for “a peaceful and inclusive transition.”
The statement, written in French, urges “all sincere patriots, without any distinction, to rise up and unite our forces.” It specifically addresses “political parties, the national armed forces, religious authorities, traditional chiefs, and all components of Malian society.” This appeal follows a series of coordinated attacks launched five days prior by JNIM and the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) rebels against strategic government positions in several key cities, including the capital Bamako, the junta’s stronghold of Kati, and the towns of Kidal, Gao, and Sévaré.
Mali gripped by uncertainty
JNIM stated that “it is imperative to end, by all legitimate means, the dictatorship of this terrorist junta.” To avoid a “chaotic vacuum,” the group calls for a “peaceful, responsible, and inclusive transition whose essential objective is to build a new Mali with the establishment of Sharia [Islamic law] as one of the essential priorities.” The group also announced its plan to implement a blockade of Bamako.
The jihadist organization praised its “martyrs who fell on the field of honor” but did not specify a number. It clarified that while the liberation of Kidal, a Tuareg-dominated rebellion stronghold, was conducted in “close and fruitful collaboration” with the FLA, the attacks in Gao, Sévaré, Kati, and near Bamako’s airport were the “exclusive and powerful work of JNIM.”
Mali is grappling with a critical security situation, filled with uncertainty after the coordinated assaults, which a hospital source confirmed led to at least 23 deaths among civilians and military personnel. On Tuesday, Mali’s junta leader, Assimi Goïta, stated that the situation was now “under control” while acknowledging it as a moment of “extreme gravity.” Meanwhile, the Kremlin affirmed that Russia would continue “to provide assistance to the authorities in exercise.”