In what may be the most serious security crisis in West Africa this year, Mali was left reeling after sweeping weekend attacks by jihadists and separatist rebels who seized several towns and military bases, killing the country’s defense minister and military intelligence chief.
The assault was coordinated by two groups with historically distinct — and often opposing — agendas: the al-Qaida-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the separatist Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). That former foes have apparently found common cause against Mali’s military junta marks a dangerous escalation. The coordinated nature of the attack, targeting the very top of Mali’s security establishment, suggests a level of planning and intelligence capability that will alarm governments across the Sahel region and beyond.
