Key facts
- Mali's Tuareg separatist group, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), seeks dialogue with Turkey.
- The FLA confirmed direct contact with Russia's Africa Corps.
- The FLA is fighting the Malian government alongside al-Qaeda-aligned JNIM.
- The FLA seeks an autonomous Tuareg state in Mali's northeast.
- Turkey has sold armed drones and other equipment to Mali's military government since 2023.
- A Turkish official stated Ankara is open to dialogue with a range of actors in Mali.
Mali's Tuareg separatist group, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), has revealed direct contact with Russia's Africa Corps and is seeking dialogue with Turkey to help resolve the country's crisis. Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, spokesperson for the FLA, stated in an exclusive interview that the group hopes for engagement with Ankara, recognizing its growing influence in Mali.
The FLA is currently coordinating offensives with Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-aligned alliance, against the Malian government. While both groups aim to seize territory and challenge the government, their ultimate objectives differ: the FLA seeks an autonomous Tuareg state in the northeast, known as Azawad, while JNIM aims to overthrow the government.
Following the withdrawal of French and Western troops, Mali has partnered with Moscow, which deployed Wagner Group mercenaries, now reorganized as Africa Corps units. The FLA has confirmed direct, though not political, contact with Africa Corps, primarily for managing movements and avoiding incidents on the ground. Ramadane stressed that these exchanges do not imply compatible political objectives.
The FLA appeals to Turkey, which has significantly increased its diplomatic, economic, and military ties with Bamako, including drone sales, to consider Azawad's complexities beyond the Bamako authorities' perspective. The group desires direct dialogue with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to explain its position, not to recruit a foreign patron, but to seek partners for a negotiated political solution.
A Turkish official indicated that Ankara is open to dialogue with various actors in Mali but would not take sides in the internal conflict. The FLA also defended its battlefield cooperation with JNIM, distinguishing it from a political alliance and emphasizing that any lasting peace settlement must address Azawad's political status and include JNIM, which is increasingly composed of Malian nationals.