The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Mali announced the thwarting of a major smuggling operation involving a large shipment of logistical and military equipment destined for a terrorist organization operating within Malian territory, coming from one of the “neighboring countries” — a veiled reference to Algeria.
According to an official statement read by Colonel Mariam Sagara on behalf of the Malian Armed Forces, as reported by local media, the seized weapons and logistical materials were manufactured in an Asian country and shipped through a regional state, the identity of which has not been disclosed.
The same source stated that the operation was the result of close intelligence cooperation between the security services of the member states of the "Alliance of Sahel States" (AES), which includes Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, and with the support of a "regional partner country." The operation, the statement noted, reflects the growing effectiveness of security coordination in countering terrorist networks in the Sahel region.
In the same statement, Malian authorities revealed the details of the intercepted shipment, which included military-grade equipment such as 20 pneumatic cannons with their recharging devices, 4,000 turbines, 3,280 pairs of military boots, and 4,000 field uniforms. It also included 4,040 badges bearing the name of the terrorist group, along with 1,040 other items marked with the same emblem.
The seized materials also included 20 boxes of military shirts, highlighting the professional nature of the supply operation. According to the statement, this points to the involvement of external entities in supporting these armed groups in a clear attempt to destabilize the countries of the Sahel Alliance.
The Malian General Staff affirmed, according to the same statement, that judicial authorities had immediately launched an in-depth investigation to determine the routes taken by the shipment and to uncover all networks involved, both inside the country and in neighboring states.
In the statement, the Malian military leadership denounced what it called the recurring “foreign involvement” in fueling tensions in the Sahel region, warning of the consequences of continuing this approach, which threatens regional peace and security and undermines ongoing efforts to establish stability.
Mali further emphasized in the statement that its armed forces would "relentlessly" continue surveillance, monitoring, and intervention operations to protect the unity of the country and ensure the safety of its citizens, alongside development and reconstruction efforts in areas affected by conflict.
It is worth noting that Mali had previously accused Algeria of supporting separatist terrorist groups operating in the north of the country near the Algerian border and called on it to stop interfering in its internal affairs. These tensions eventually led to a diplomatic rupture between the two countries.
