Mali | ISSP seizes Menaka, rebels gain from withdrawals

The withdrawal of Russian Africa Corps and Malian Armed Forces from eastern Mali has triggered a significant territorial shift, with rival militant groups seizing control. The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISSP) has exploited the pullback to capture the city of Menaka, forcing government and Russian forces to retreat to the city's western airport base. ISSP also seized the border town of Labbezanga and other positions near Niger, while the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and al-Qaeda-linked JNIM coalition took control of the town of Ber and the strategic gold mines of Intahaka, reportedly following agreements with the withdrawing forces. The coordinated withdrawals and subsequent militant advances mark a major collapse of government control in eastern and central Mali.