Overview

• JNIM said it seized the Boulkessi base in central Mali on Sunday, with security sources reporting over 30 soldiers killed before Malian forces withdrew.
• On Monday attackers shelled Timbuktu’s airport and detonated a vehicle bomb near a city centre army camp, though the governor’s office declared the situation under control.
• Insurgents have killed more than 400 soldiers across Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger since early May as JNIM intensifies its campaign.
• Mali’s military rulers, along with Burkina Faso and Niger’s juntas, have cut ties with Western partners and enlisted Russian mercenaries in a bid to curb jihadist gains.
• The surge in violence has displaced millions and prompted accusations of abuses by both jihadist fighters and government-aligned forces.