The combined anti-jihadist forces of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali executed “intensive aerial campaigns” across Malian territory. This military action followed recent assaults by al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadists and Tuareg separatist factions, as confirmed by the government of Niger late on Thursday.

Over the preceding weekend, jihadist groups, alongside their Tuareg separatist allies, initiated the most significant offensive in Mali in nearly fifteen years. This surge of violence led to the capture of the crucial northern town of Kidal and tragically resulted in the death of Defence Minister Sadio Camara.

The regional partners Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). This alliance established a joint force to combat jihadist groups, initially comprising 5,000 personnel, a number that was subsequently increased to 15,000 by mid-April.

Following a cabinet meeting on Thursday evening, Nigerien authorities expressed their approval, stating they “welcome… the prompt and vigorous response of the unified force’s units… which conducted intense air campaigns in the hours following the cowardly attacks of April 25, 2026, in Gao, Menaka, and Kidal.”

Just hours after the attacks commenced, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, spokesperson for the Malian Tuareg rebels of the Azawad Liberation Front, had urged Burkina Faso and Niger “to stay out of the events underway in Mali.”

All three nations within the AES are currently governed by military juntas, having come to power through coups between 2020 and 2023.

The targeted attacks against the Malian military junta and its Russian paramilitary allies have plunged the former French colony into a severe security predicament.

Burkina Faso’s Defence Minister, Celestin Simpore, speaking on behalf of the AES at Camara’s funeral on Thursday, pledged to “hunt down” the “assassins.”

‘Solidarity’

Concurrently, approximately a thousand individuals gathered in Niamey, the Nigerien capital, to demonstrate “solidarity with the Malian people,” as shown in live social media footage of the event.

At the Djado Sekou Cultural Center, crowds chanted slogans such as “down with the imperialists,” “down with the terrorists and their sponsors,” and “long live the AES,” while an image of Defence Minister Camara was prominently displayed.

Effred Mouloul, a representative from the coalition of civil society groups organizing the gathering, conveyed a message to the Malian populace: “To the Malian people, we say: ‘You are not alone, the active forces of Niger and of the AES stand by your side and express their full and complete solidarity.'”

He criticized other African leaders for a “total lack of visible solidarity in the face of the targeted assassination” of Malian leaders and advocated for the removal of French military presence from AES territories.

Nigerien authorities have accused external powers, primarily France, of sponsoring the weekend attacks in Mali. Niger has repeatedly accused France of attempting to destabilize the region, an allegation that Paris denies.

For security reasons, the government of Niger has canceled all May 1 parades across the country.