A significant figure from a separatist coalition in northern Mali has been detained in Niger, according to security sources.
Inkinane Ag Attaher, a commander within the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), was apprehended last week.
The FLA, a coalition of Tuareg groups formed late last year, aims to seize control of northern Mali.
Attaher, responsible for training FLA fighters, is considered a “terrorist” by Nigerien authorities. He was found with both Nigerien and Malian passports during his arrest.
The arrest occurred in southern Niger, near the border with Nigeria. Malian officials are expected to seek Attaher’s extradition.
This development unfolds within the context of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a military alliance between Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali.
Attaher’s past includes deserting the Malian army and joining the MNLA, a separatist group that previously expelled the Malian army from northern regions.
He is believed to have extensive international connections, particularly with Ukraine.
Mali’s junta, which has shifted its allegiance from France to Russia, accuses Ukraine of providing support to the separatists. Attaher’s social media activity supports this claim.
Mali and Niger recently severed ties with Ukraine following a major military defeat against rebels near the Algerian border. A Ukrainian intelligence official suggested Kyiv aided the rebels in that attack.
Separatist fighting escalated in 2023 after the expulsion of the UN peacekeeping mission. The Malian army has since regained control of key northern towns, including Kidal, a former separatist stronghold.
