Several positions of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) in the Segou and Kayes regions were subjected to unusually simultaneous and coordinated attacks at dawn on July 1.
This sophisticated operation confirms the escalating influence of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Support Group for Islam and Muslims (JNIM) in western Mali, despite ongoing joint security efforts with neighboring Senegal.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces (EMGA) confirmed that FAMa positions in Niono, Molodo, Sandare, Nioro du Sahel, Diboli, Gogui, and Kayes were targeted in these synchronized assaults. The nearly simultaneous nature of these attacks indicates a high level of operational coordination by the perpetrators. The affected locations span strategic axes, including the border posts of Diboli and Gogui with Senegal, and Kayes, the regional capital. The EMGA stated that “the situation is being monitored very closely” and that further details would be provided later.
This multi-pronged offensive occurs in an area that has experienced heightened tension for months, where JNIM regularly targets security forces. In recent years, the group has systematically expanded its operational reach beyond central Mali, increasingly focusing on the western regions.
Notably, the town of Diboli, now under attack, was the site of the official launch of joint patrols between Mali and Senegal on February 20, 2025. This collaborative initiative, a direct response to jihadist expansion, has already been marred by serious incidents, including the kidnapping and assassination of a Senegalese religious leader, claimed by Amadou Kouffa, leader of the Macina Front and JNIM’s second-in-command. This heinous crime deeply shocked public opinion across Senegal and the subregion.
Bilateral patrols involve Military Zone No. 4 and the Rapid Action Surveillance and Intervention Group (GARSI) on the Senegalese side, working alongside Malian security forces. Their efforts are concentrated on monitoring border routes, securing villages, and intelligence gathering.
Former Malian Prime Minister Moussa Mara underscored the critical importance of this subregional coordination, stating, “As much as criminals play on our borders, our states must join hands to cooperate in all our border areas.”
Despite Mali’s withdrawal from ECOWAS, bilateral military cooperation with Senegal remains active. This cooperation was further solidified during the visit of Senegalese Defense Minister Birame Diop to Bamako last March, where both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining joint operations along their nearly 700-kilometer shared border.
The scale and simultaneity of the July 1st attacks represent a new phase in JNIM’s strategy, clearly aimed at demonstrating its capacity to inflict damage in a region previously considered peripheral to the conflict. They also highlight the urgent necessity for increased and more robust security cooperation among riparian states to counter a now well-established cross-border threat.
AC/Sf/fss/abj/APA