BAMAKO, Mali (AP) 鈥� Separatists in northern Mali have released 82 soldiers, including some taken captive during a on government forces in April, the Malian military and a rebel spokesperson said Thursday.
A statement from the Malian Armed Forces said that the “freed soldiers are now safe and being cared for by the relevant authorities.” Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the separatist Azawad Liberation Front, confirmed the release.
Mali by insurgencies by militants affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, including JNIM, as well as a Tuareg-led separatist rebellion in the north.
Violence escalated in recent months after an alliance of JNIM and Tuareg separatists carried out on April 25, targeting the airport of the country鈥檚 capital, Bamako, the nearby garrison town of Kati, and several northern and central cities.
Ramadane said that the soldiers were released on humanitarian grounds, and that some of them had been held captive since as long ago as 2023. He said around 118 Malian soldiers are still captive.
April鈥檚 attacks exposed weaknesses of Mali鈥檚 strategy to combat the rebellion, including relying on Russia, which has partnered with the military-led government after it distanced itself from former allies such as France.
The soldiers鈥� release was announced the same day Mali鈥檚 president pardoned , a French national sentenced to 20 years in prison. V茅zilier, who worked for the French Embassy in Mali, was arrested in August 2025 and accused of being an intelligence agent involved in .
The Malian government said in a statement the clemency did not overturn the court鈥檚 findings and required the individual鈥檚 immediate removal from the country.
The French foreign ministry didn鈥檛 immediately reply to a request for comment.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
