Mali's Worst Attack: Al-Qaida Alliance Strikes

0:00On April 28th, Mali just faced its biggest coordinated militant attack in over a decade, with al-Qaeda-link fighters from JNM teaming up with, Twareg separatists from the Azoid Liberation Front. They hid spots all over the country at once, including Bamako's airport, the garrison town of Kati, and cities up north like Hidal and Severi. Mali's defense minister got killed in a car bomb right at his home. This alliance has history, going back to when they grabbed Northern Mali back in 2012, sparking the whole crisis. The Sahel regions now ground zero for global extremist deaths, making up over half of them worldwide last year, of huge from just 1% 20 years ago. JNM funds itself through rancens, like $50 million from a big kidnapping, plus taxing locals and stealing gold. Civilians are catching the worst of it, with violence spiking even after Mali's military rulers kicked out France and the UN, turning to Russia for help. People line up for fuel in Bamako thanks to JNM's blockade

1:02on supply routes, leaving folks desperate and turning against the government. Russia's Africa Corps, with around 2,000 troops there, pulled out of Qadal, after separatists took the city, negotiating a safe exit from the old UN base. That's a big loss since Mali and Wagner mercenaries had retaken it just last year. Attacks like this show the security mess worsening, as militants squeezed the junta and its Russian backers, leaving the Sahel more unstable than ever. You've been listening to global news today, AI-powered global coverage.