“So to the authorities in Mali, we are with them.” Hundreds of Malians rallied in Bamako on Saturday, backing the armed forces’ operations against coordinated attacks and threats of a blockade by the Western-backed Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam (JNIM). The recent wave of citizen mobilization follows the Malian government’s announcement that it had killed hundreds of fighters and seized motorcycles and vehicles, in response to a series of coordinated attacks across the country on April 25. Authorities have stated that troop deployments are being restructured as part of a broader counter-offensive. The April 25 attempted coup — claimed by the al-Qaeda-linked (JNIM) and the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) —represent one of Mali’s most serious escalations in years. Defense Minister Sadio Camara was killed during the attacks.

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