The Culprit of the Attack on the Transition Government in Mali & the AES is NATO Imperialism

The Culprit of the Attack on the Transition Government in Mali & the AES is NATO Imperialism

The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) condemns the imperialist-backed terrorist and separatist attacks against the Transition Government of Mali on April 25, 2026. This was a major attack that terrorized the population in several towns, resulting in casualties, among whom the minister of defense, General Sadio Camara, his wife, and grandchildren were killed. The Black Alliance for Peace offers our condolences to the family and comrades in the Malian transition government, as well as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). 

Consistent with our principles, BAP stands in unity with all anti-imperialist fighting forces. We therefore stand in solidarity with the transition government of Mali, as well as the AES generally, which have been at the forefront of fighting imperialist forces in Africa. In this case, imperialism in the form of its former colonizer and NATO member, France, was reportedly providing intelligence to the terrorists even four years ago. We also add its opportunistic partner, Ukraine, which admitted only two years ago to supplying heavy weaponry in the form of drones to proxy terrorist forces JNIM and FLA as a counter to Russian forces contracted by the Malian government to help them in this battle.

We will not be silent while the forces actually responsible for the symptoms of terrorism in Africa posture as the remedy for it. The prevalence of terrorism in Africa was born from NATO’s destruction of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya in 2011, a vile crime against humanity that unleashed and scattered the reactionary terrorist forces across the Sahel and beyond. The Western world’s continued neocolonial plunder of Africa depends on keeping the continent destabilized. Because no truly liberated people would tolerate the paternalistic, militarist, extractive relationship that is the mission of NATO and its member countries.

The transition government of Mali has forced the French out, accusing them of assisting the terrorists. We are convinced -- based on history -- that France has not totally discontinued their efforts to destabilize and balkanize Mali and the AES by proxy in order to continue its long history of colonial domination and exploitation. The numerous assassination and coup attempts against Ibrahim Traore in Burkina Faso originating from the Ivory Coast are a testament to this. Ivory Coast has been one of France’s primary proxies in Africa since the days of Houphet Boigny, who was famously called the French traveling salesman by Frantz Fanon.

BAP understands that Africa will only be sovereign and free when it is able to develop a path reflective of a People’s Centered Human Rights. This requires freeing itself from the imperialist hybrid war perpetrated by NATO, AFRICOM, IMF/World Bank forces, and their neocolonial proxies.