Rebels take key military base in Mali's north

Mali's army and its Russian mercenary allies surrendered a strategic northern military stronghold to armed rebels on Friday, as Tuareg separatists and jihadists wage a unified front to bring down the country's junta.

The West African nation is facing a critical security situation following large-scale attacks last weekend at various junta strongholds by the Tuareg-dominated FLA and Al-Qaeda-linked JNIM groups.

During those assaults, the rebels killed Mali's defence minister and took the key northern town of Kidal.

On Friday, forces from Mali's key Tessalit "super-camp" near the Algerian border surrendered the military installation and scattered southward, an official from the FLA (the Azawad Liberation Front) told AFP.

The retreat comes one day after JNIM (the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims) began a road blockade on the capital, Bamako. Only people already in the city were allowed to leave.

No clashes took place at Tessalit, a security source in Gao told AFP, adding that regular troops had already evacuated when the assailants entered.

A local elected official confirmed to AFP that the Russians had also abandoned their position there.

Tessalit serves as a strategic base due to its geographical location and features a well-maintained airstrip capable of accommodating helicopters and other large military aircraft.

It had hosted a significant number of Malian troops and their Russian allies, in addition to a substantial quantity of military equipment.

"Tessalit is the oldest base built by the colonial power (France)," a military officer told AFP, adding that its position in the far north offered "a panoramic view of the entire Sahara."

Mali forces were also forced to abandon a lesser military base, Aguelhok, located some 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of Tessalit, according to a local elected official and a separate FLA official on Friday.

AFP