Tuareg Rebels Exchange Prisoners for Malian Soldiers

Malian Soldiers Freed in Exchange for Tuareg Rebel Leader

About 60 Malian soldiers were released in Niger on Thursday as part of a prisoner exchange agreement, according to security sources. The release was facilitated by Niger’s government and was directly overseen by the country’s authorities.

Inkinane Ag Attaher, a former Malian army officer turned defector, was among those being exchanged for the freed soldiers. Ag Attaher had been arrested in 2025 by Nigerian security forces near the border with Niger and was accused of various crimes, including orchestrating drone training and coordinating attacks in Mali.

The release is part of a series of prisoner exchanges between Malian authorities and groups affiliated with al-Qaeda-linked fighters and Tuareg rebels. Other releases have included Russian mercenaries and some of the Tuareg rebels’ own men held in Malian prisons.

Algeria has reportedly been involved in mediating these releases, according to sources in Mali. The development comes amid ongoing tensions between Mali’s government and groups it considers terrorists.

In a statement on Facebook, Mohamed El Maouloud Ramadane, an FLA spokesman, welcomed Ag Attaher’s release and wished him well for his continued struggle. General Abdoulaye Maiga, Mali’s prime minister, visited Algiers earlier this month to re-establish high-level talks with the Algerian government.

The prisoner releases have been followed by a series of attacks on April 25 targeting Bamako’s airport and other locations, resulting in the death of Defence Minister Sadio Camara. The FLA and JNIM claimed responsibility for these attacks, as well as others on army positions across Mali on July 4.

Elisee Jean Dao, chief of the general staff of Mali’s armed forces, has issued a warning to those continuing to fight against the Malian army, stating that they will be pursued and defeated. The situation remains complex, with fighting ongoing beyond Mali’s borders and across the Sahel region.

Source: Al Jazeera