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A testimony aired on Malian television has revived suspicions over the possible involvement of armed Polisario elements in the April 25 offensive launched against the Malian army by the Azawad Liberation Front and the jihadists of the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), led by Iyad Ag Ghali.
Sidi El Mahdi Ag El Beka, director of the regional station of Mali’s national broadcaster in Kidal and a native of the city, gave a troubling account of the clashes that took place on April 25, 2026, in Kidal. He claimed that foreign fighters from several countries and regions had taken part in the fighting alongside armed opposition groups in northern Mali.
Ag El Beka said that, during his detention, he gathered information indicating that around 12,000 fighters had been mobilized. Among them were reportedly elements from Chad, Sudan, and Algeria, as well as individuals linked to the Polisario Front. According to the Bamako-based state media outlet, these fighters were deployed in support of separatist movements and groups affiliated with the Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist organization operating in northern Mali.
The Tindouf camps in Algeria have for decades hosted a large Tuareg community originally from Mali. Some members of this community took part in fighting against Morocco before the 1991 ceasefire. Since then, many have settled permanently in the camps, where they have become integrated into the local social fabric and speak Hassaniya fluently. Several are now believed to be members of the Polisario’s armed militias.
As a reminder, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said on April 29 that «the Kingdom of Morocco has observed what is now an obvious collusion between separatism and terrorism». Speaking to the press, he warned that «this objective alliance represents a threat to regional stability and to Mali». Morocco’s top diplomat also stressed the need for coordinated action by regional and international actors to dismantle this alliance.
