Separatists in northern Mali released 82 soldiers who had been held captive by armed groups, including some taken prisoner during coordinated nationwide attacks on government forces in April, the Malian military confirmed Thursday. Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), confirmed the release and said the soldiers were freed on humanitarian grounds. Some had been held since as far back as 2023.
Soldiers Captured in April Attacks
The released soldiers were among those captured following the massive coordinated assault on April 25, when an alliance of al-Qaeda affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Tuareg-led FLA launched simultaneous attacks targeting the airport of the capital Bamako, the nearby garrison town of Kati, and several northern and central cities. The assault killed Defense Minister Sadio Camara in a bombing at his residence and represented the largest attack on Mali in over a decade.
The Malian Armed Forces described the release as the result of rigorous planning and coordinated efforts to secure the soldiers freedom. However, Ramadane said approximately 118 Malian soldiers remain in captivity, underscoring the continuing scale of the crisis facing the military junta.
French Official Pardoned and Expelled
In a parallel development on the same day, junta leader General Assimi Goita granted a presidential pardon to Yann Vezilier, a French national who had been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Vezilier, who worked for the French Embassy in Mali, was arrested in August 2025 and accused of being an intelligence agent involved in a plot to destabilize the country. The Malian government said the pardon did not overturn the courts findings but required his immediate removal from the country.
The dual moves highlight the complex web of security and diplomatic challenges facing Malis military government, which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021. The junta expelled French and United Nations forces and turned to Russia for military support, but continues to face a worsening insurgency across large parts of the country.
Sources: Associated Press; Africanews; Al Jazeera; Washington Times
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