Tuareg rebels release 22 Mali soldiers: security sources

Tuareg separatist rebels on Sunday freed 22 Mali government troops, some held for more than three years, adding to a steady flow of releases in recent weeks, according to security and ruling junta sources.

Tuareg fighters and their jihadist allies took dozens of soldiers prisoner when they launched coordinated attacks across the west African nation in April and July.

Mali has been battling jihadist and separatist insurgents for more than a decade and the military seized power following coups in 2020 and 2021, partly justifying its move by the need to end the violence.

There have been a number of significant releases in recent weeks.

On August 13, the army announced that 82 soldiers held by Tuareg fighters since the April battles had been freed. Three days later, six wounded troops were handed over.

Sources told AFP on Saturday that two former Wagner Russian paramilitaries captured two years ago had also been let go.

A security source on Sunday said that 22 soldiers went free in the latest exchange and a junta source confirmed that about 20 soldiers were involved.

The Tuareg Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) said in a social media post that troops had been freed but did not give a number.

At least eight FLA fighters were freed in exchange for the troops, the security source said. FLA spokesman Attaye Ag Mohamed said that “civilian detainees” held in the junta prisons, some for more than five years, had been freed under the deal.

Some of the freed government troops had been captured recently and some had been held “for more than three years”, the junta source told AFP.

Government forces have struggled to contain the insurgency in one of the world’s poorest countries.

In their April assault, the FLA and the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) captured the northern city of Kidal and killed the junta’s defence minister.

The rebels briefly captured the town of Anefis in July when it staged new attacks.