The United States is close to reaching an agreement with Mali to resume aerial surveillance operations aimed at gathering intelligence on jihadist groups active in the West African country, a current and a former US official said.
According to these sources, the agreement would allow Washington to resume flights by aircraft and drones over Malian territory in order to monitor the activities of armed groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda. Mali has been facing a particularly violent jihadist insurgency for several years, notably led by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an organization linked to the Al-Qaeda network.
This development comes as the United States recently lifted sanctions against three senior Malian officials, a move interpreted by some observers as a sign of détente between Washington and the military authorities in Bamako. Relations between the two countries had deteriorated sharply following successive coups in Mali and the regime's rapprochement with Russia.
The resumption of US intelligence operations could also be linked to humanitarian and security concerns. According to several sources, an American missionary pilot kidnapped in the region may be in Malian territory, which reinforces Washington's interest in increased surveillance of areas controlled by armed groups.
If the agreement is finalized, it would mark a partial resumption of security cooperation between the United States and Mali in the fight against jihadist organizations operating in the Sahel, a region where instability has worsened considerably in recent years.
