Sahel Situation Report: FLA Drone Campaign Persists; JNIM IED Ambushes Continue Across Theater

As of April 12, the Sahel theater remains in active multi-front conflict with no ceasefire in sight. In northern Mali (Kidal Region), the Front de Libération de l'Azawad (FLA) continues its asymmetric drone campaign against FAMa and Africa Corps positions — most recently with FPV kamikaze strikes on the Agelhok base on April 8. JNIM maintained its IED ambush campaign in Timbuktu Region, with improvised explosive devices targeting FAMa patrols along the Kugo–Tonka route earlier in the reporting window. In Burkina Faso, President Traoré's junta formally extended military rule to 2029, rejecting democratic transition after banning all political parties in January 2026. The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) — Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger — continues deepening military ties with Russia's Africa Corps while distancing from ECOWAS and Western partners. No major new battlefield events have been independently confirmed in the 36-hour window preceding this update; the tracker reflects the April 9 data cycle.