Relative calm returns to many parts of Mali after weekend attacks

Relative calm returned to many parts of Mali on Monday after coordinated attacks over the weekend, even as the country's security crisis remained unresolved.

Reuters and AP reported that Bamako and Kati were quieter by April 27, with some checkpoints lifted and schools and offices open in parts of the capital region. The change followed two days of fighting that hit multiple locations, including Bamako, Kati, Gao, Kidal and Sévaré.

The attacks were claimed by al-Qaida-linked JNIM and the Tuareg-led FLA rebel alliance. Reuters reported the previous day that gunfire was still persisting in Kati, showing the situation had not yet fully stabilized.

The UN condemned the violence and called for regional and international coordination against violent extremism in the Sahel. It also urged protection of civilians as the scale of the assault became clearer.

Questions remain over the extent of control in Kidal and other contested areas, as well as the final death toll and damage. The Malian army has said it reasserted control, but some claims from the attackers and reports from the ground remain unverified.

For now, the key development is that the immediate fighting has eased in parts of the country. What happens next will depend on whether the calm holds and whether Mali's authorities can translate battlefield claims into lasting control.