Mali is offering millions of dollars for information on militants.
A worrying escalation reflects the return of armed groups to operate with greater boldness in Mali.
Written by Ziad Abdel Fattah:
The Malian government presented, on Thursday, Financial rewards In exchange for information on the whereabouts of suspected militants wanted for their role in attacks targeting the country's people and property.
The offer comes in the wake of attacks linked to al-Qaeda last April that killed the defense minister and wounded other officials.
The attacks sparked fighting in Mali’s vast desert north, increasing the likelihood that armed groups will make significant gains.
The Malian government is offering $3.5 million for information.
The government has offered 2 billion CFA francs ($3.55 million) for information leading to the capture of Iyad Ag Ghali, leader of Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, the local branch of al-Qaeda.
Smaller rewards were offered to a number of other high-profile suspects, including Alghabbas Ag Intalla, a Tuareg separatist leader, by order of Major General Daoud Ali Mohamedin, Mali’s Minister of Security and Civil Protection.
In a detailed analytical reading of the security scene in the West Africa region during April 2026, the Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism said that Mali witnessed a worrying escalation reflecting the return of armed groups to act more boldly; as terrorist operations jumped from one operation in March to 5 operations in April, accompanied by an increase in the number of victims to 7 dead and 18 wounded.
Al-Azhar Observatory warned of the danger of current indicators confirming that terrorist organizations in Mali are seeking to exploit security gaps in border areas, and are attempting to build understandings and tactical alliances with some “separatist groups”.
These worrying alliances aim to impose a new reality on the ground based on geographical control and weakening the prestige and authority of the central state.
However, the Malian army's military pressure did not stop, as the number of militants killed rose from 52 to 60 in order to thwart expansion plans.
The Al-Azhar Observatory based its findings on a precise statistical comparison with March indicators the past.
