Mali's military government is confronting one of its most severe crises in over a decade, as a coordinated offensive by jihadist and separatist forces has overrun major northern strongholds, killed the defence minister, and prompted authorities to arrest soldiers accused of helping plan the attacks.

The assault began on Saturday, 25 April, when al-Qaida-affiliated group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) — a Tuareg separatist movement seeking independence for the vast northern region known as Azawad — launched near-simultaneous strikes on multiple targets across the country, including the main international airport in the capital, Bamako, and the heavily fortified military garrison town of Kati nearby. General Sadio Camara, the defence minister and one of the most powerful figures behind Mali's 2020 military coup, was killed in the Kati attack. By the end of the week, Malian and Russian Africa Corps forces had withdrawn from Kidal, a strategic northern city, and from the military camp at Tessalit, near the Algerian border — both of which subsequently came under rebel control. The FLA announced the capture of Tessalit on Friday in a video statement verified by the Associated Press.

Mali's Military Court prosecutor announced on Friday evening that investigators had uncovered