Mali’s Tuareg Separatists Seek Talks With Turkey, Reveal Russian Contacts
Mali’s Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a Tuareg-led separatist group, says it wants direct dialogue with Turkey to explore a political solution to the conflict in northern Mali.
FLA spokesperson Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane said Turkey’s growing military, economic and diplomatic influence in Mali makes Ankara an important potential interlocutor. The group is not asking Turkey to provide military support, but wants Turkish officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to hear its position directly.
Turkey has strengthened ties with Mali’s military government in recent years, including through the sale of armed drones and other defence equipment. The FLA says Ankara should consider the situation in the northern region, which it calls Azawad, beyond its relationship with authorities in Bamako.
Ramadane also confirmed that the FLA has maintained direct contact with Russia’s Africa Corps. He described the communication as tactical rather than political, saying such channels can be used to prevent incidents, manage movements or arrange temporary understandings. He stressed that the contacts do not represent a strategic alliance with Moscow.
The FLA is currently coordinating battlefield operations with al-Qaeda-linked JNIM against Mali’s military government, although Ramadane said the two groups have different political objectives. The FLA seeks an independent or autonomous Azawad, while JNIM seeks to challenge the Malian government.
The FLA says its outreach to Turkey is aimed at opening a political channel rather than finding another foreign military patron. It argues that any lasting settlement will need to address the political demands of northern Mali and the realities created by the conflict.
