Following the meeting of the leaders of the Permanent Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad (Cadre stratégique permanent pour la défense du peuple de l'Azawad - CSP-DPA) held between November 26 and 30, a coalition of armed groups separatists with a predominantly Tuareg base, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) created on November 30, 2024, was created at Tinzaouaten on the border with Algeria, which is the target of strikes by the Malian army. The announcement was made from Tinzaouaten, their stronghold. The new coalition calls on “ all the sons of Azawad with other ideologies to open up to union ‘, and on the countries of the sub-region and the international community to ’ recognize the FLA as the sole representative of the people of Azawad ”. The FLA, which brings together several separatist groups in northern Mali, aims for independence from the central government in Bamako. The latter is accused of making no distinction between independence fighters and jihadist groups, especially with the death of Fahad Ag Almahmoud and seven other FLA leaders on December 1, 2024, just a few days after its creation. This situation calls into question the durability of the Algiers Agreement signed in 2015 between the Malian government and the separatist groups of northern Mali. "The creation of the Azawad Liberation Front must be placed in the context of the breakdown of the agreement for peace and reconciliation in Mali, which came out of the Algiers process. The Malian government denounced the Algiers agreement in January 2024, and proposed replacing it with an intermalian dialogue. This dialogue did take place, but did not bring together all the components. For some of the former signatories of the Algiers agreements, armed struggle is the only option left,” points out journalist Seidik Abba, a Sahel specialist and author of Mali-Sahel, notre Afghanistan à nous(Impacts Editions, 2022).

Under unclear conditions, the Khalif of the Omar family of Nioro du Sahel, Thierno Amadou Hady Tall, was kidnapped on December 26, 2023, following accusations of collaboration with the military authorities and Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group.  The announcement of his death was made by the leader of the Macina Katiba, Amadou Koufa, according to a recording attributed to him. Without any confirmation of this recording, it nevertheless sows doubt in the minds of Malians in a context where the Nioro du Sahel region, the stronghold of the Omar brotherhood, is going through an unprecedented crisis with the rise of armed jihadist groups, with consequences for social cohesion, living together and the security of local populations.

In Mali, after four years of legal proceedings of various kinds, the transitional government and the political class are in a state of calm. This is evidenced by the release of the former Malian Minister of Energy and Mines, Lamine Seydou Traoré, who returned to his home in Bamako on December 03 after more than 10 months under arrest. He had been implicated in the purchase of 27 generators and 2 transformers, a major contract worth 6.2 billion CFA francs awarded to Case Construction. Officials of the electricity company EDM, as well as economic operators, were also charged in this case. They were all charged with “forgery, use of forgeries and damage to public property”, even though Lamine Seydou Traoré has always maintained his innocence.

Still in the spirit of appeasement between the authorities and the political class, on December 05, several opponents of the authorities were granted provisional release after several months in prison. They had been accused of pursuing their political activities at a time when these had been banned throughout Mali, and therefore prosecuted for “ plotting against the legal authorities and illegal assembly ”. Among those released were former ministers and leaders of political parties and movements who had signed a declaration urging the authorities to return power to civilians. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one of the released opponents said:"We've all gone home. The prosecutor told us that it's a provisional release, but without judicial control or travel restrictions”.

After years of work, Mali has just taken an important step towards strengthening its security with the finalization by Malian experts of the new national security policy. This new strategic organization tool, under the leadership of General Yamoussa Camara, aims to strengthen security and prevent conflict by involving all stakeholders in a more inclusive way. In the face of the security threat, the success of the national security policy depends on the involvement of all players, and on the State making the necessary resources available for more effective implementation.