Around sixty Malian civilians held hostage by the Jnim (Groupe de soutien à l'islam et aux musulmans, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group operating across the Sahel) were released on 13–14 August, returning to their families in Nioro, Kayes, and the capital Bamako. The releases coincided with the freeing of 82 Malian soldiers held by the Front de libération de l'Azawad (FLA), a Tuareg separatist group allied with the Jnim, following quiet negotiations involving village delegates, religious figures, and the Malian junta itself. The simultaneous releases suggest behind-the-scenes dialogue between Bamako and the armed groups, despite the government's official hardline stance, and come as both the Jnim and FLA face mounting human rights scrutiny over the execution of Malian soldiers in the north.