Mali: the military staff announces the release of 82 soldiers held by Jnim and FLA

The Malian army announced the release of 82 of its soldiers in a statement read on national television. The soldiers were held by armed groups affiliated with the coalition formed by Jnim, linked to Al-Qaeda, and the FLA, an armed separatist movement operating mainly in northern Mali.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces, this release is the result of a process initiated as soon as the soldiers were captured. The institution did not provide details on the terms of their release or their potential return to their units.

The FLA confirmed the information through its spokesperson, Maouloud El Ramadane. In a statement, he indicated that 82 Malian soldiers captured between 2023 and 2026 had been released in a framework described as “strictly humanitarian.”

Soldiers Captured at Different Times

Not all the released soldiers were taken prisoner during the same clash. Some were captured in 2023, notably during FLA attacks against Malian army positions in the north of the country.

Other soldiers were among those captured during the fighting related to the takeover of Kidal on April 25, 2026, by the FLA and its jihadist allies. The FLA had previously claimed the detention of several hundred Malian soldiers after these clashes.

Security sources cited by RFI mention negotiations and exchanges between the two camps to explain the release. However, these details have not been publicly disclosed by Malian authorities or the FLA.

The release of the soldiers comes as clashes between the Malian army, separatist groups, and jihadist organizations continue in several regions of the country. The Jnim has notably claimed or conducted several attacks against military positions in central and northern Mali in recent months.