Tuareg Rebels Release Around 60 Mali Soldiers in Exchange for Their Leader
Theo Al Jazeera English
Tuareg rebels have released about 60 Mali soldiers in exchange for their leader Inkinane Ag Attaher, who was detained in Niger in 2025. The swap was supervised by Niger's government, with Algeria also acting as a mediator. This marks the latest in a series of hostage releases amid continued conflict in Mali and the Sahel.
Security sources say Tuareg rebels have released about 60 Mali soldiers in exchange for their leader, Inkinane Ag Attaher, a former Mali army officer who defected to the rebel ranks.
Ag Attaher was a prominent figure in the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) when he was captured by Nigerian security forces near the Niger-Nigeria border in 2025. He was accused of directing drone training activities, coordinating deadly attacks in Mali, and serving as an international liaison.
A Mali security source told AFP: “About 60 soldiers were transported to Niger on Thursday (local time) in exchange for Inkinane Ag Attaher and individuals allegedly linked to JNIM (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin), an al-Qaeda-affiliated group.”
A second security source confirmed the deal was directly overseen by Niger's government.
Mohamed El Maouloud Ramadane, spokesman for the FLA, welcomed Ag Attaher's release in a Facebook post, sending him “wishes of courage, strength and serenity to continue the struggle”.
This is the latest in a series of hostage releases of those captured in northern Mali by al-Qaeda-linked fighters and Tuareg rebels, including Russian mercenaries. Tuareg rebels also said some of their members held in Mali prisons were also released.
Sources in Mali told Al Jazeera that Algeria is helping mediate the release of its soldiers. On Monday, Mali's Prime Minister, General Abdoulaye Maiga, visited Algiers to re-establish high-level dialogue with the Algerian government after tensions over regional security disagreements.
The Bamako authorities publicly state they do not negotiate with groups they call terrorist, but the hostage releases show lines of communication remain open while fighting continues.
JNIM and FLA claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on April 25 targeting Bamako airport and other sites. On the same day, Defense Minister Sadio Camara was killed in a bombing at his residence in Kati. The two groups also claimed responsibility for attacks on military positions across Mali on July 4.
Mali's Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Elisee Jean Dao, issued a warning to those who continue to resist the Malian military: “Wherever the enemy is, we will pursue and defeat them until they lay down their arms. For those Malians, our country has a peace process that allows them to return. I want to call again. It is not too late. The door is still open.”
Al Jazeera's Nicolas Haque reported that fighting continues outside Mali's borders and across the Sahel, but the prisoner exchanges and Algeria's mediation role could help more soldiers be released.
Mali has been through civil war since 2012, when a Tuareg separatist uprising in the north paved the way for armed campaigns by al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS)-linked groups. The military has run the country since the 2021 coup, vowing to restore order and national unity.
JNIM has gained strength since Mali's military junta expelled French forces and about 15,000 UN peacekeepers, turning to Russian paramilitary forces for defense support. While the FLA describes itself as a secular nationalist movement seeking independence for Mali's Azawad region and JNIM is an al-Qaeda affiliate, the two sides set aside ideological differences to confront the Malian government together.
