Mali Separatists Free 82 Soldiers, Military Confirms
Mali's separatist Azawad Liberation Front has released 82 soldiers, some held since April's coordinated attacks, on humanitarian grounds.
Separatist forces in northern Mali have freed 82 government soldiers, according to statements from both the Malian military and a rebel spokesperson on Thursday. The released troops include individuals captured during a wave of coordinated attacks on government positions in April.
The Malian Armed Forces said in a statement that the freed soldiers are safe and receiving care from authorities. Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, spokesperson for the separatist Azawad Liberation Front, confirmed the release and said it was carried out on humanitarian grounds.
Ramadane noted that some of the released soldiers had been in captivity since as early as 2023. He added that 118 Malian soldiers remain in rebel custody.
Mali has faced over a decade of instability driven by militant groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State, including the group JNIM, alongside a Tuareg-led separatist rebellion in the north. Violence escalated sharply after an alliance of JNIM and Tuareg separatists launched coordinated attacks on April 25, targeting the airport in the capital Bamako, the nearby garrison town of Kati, and several cities in the north and center of the country.