Mali: Violence in Ménaka and Gao regions

Non-state armed groups have launched an offensive in the north of the country to take advantage of the current context of political instability, the withdrawal of military troops from conflict zones, and the weakness of the UN stabilisation mission in Mali. Their goal is to expand their territorial control on the border between Mali and Niger. Since March 2022, groups aligned with the Islamic State have increased operations targeting security forces, self-defence groups, and civilians in Gao and Ménaka. They have been fighting intermittently since.