A delegation from the Nigerien rebel group Patriotic Liberation Front (FPL) met with the Malian rebel movement Permanent Strategic Framework (CSP) in late August to "strengthen" their ties.

CSP spokesman Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadan confirmed the meeting to AFP on Monday, indicating a deepening alliance between the two groups as they share the common aim of ousting their respective military juntas.

The meeting, which took place from August 25 to 29 in Tinzaouatene, a town in northern Mali near the Algerian border, saw the two groups discussing mutual interests and cooperation.

The CSP, a coalition primarily composed of Tuareg-led armed separatist groups, was represented by its president Alghabass Ag Intalla, while the FPL delegation was led by commander-in-chief Barka Taher Hamit.

ACTU
MALI 🇲🇱 - NIGER 🇳🇪 : à Tinzaouatène, les rebellions du Niger et du Mali se réunissent pour renforcer leurs relations
Une délégation des rebelles nigériens du Front Patriotique de Libération (FPL) a rencontré, du 25 au 29 août, dans le nord du Mali, des responsables de la… pic.twitter.com/4pc1bLkhFn

— France-AfriqueMÉDIA (@FranceAfrique23) September 2, 2024

This collaboration comes against a backdrop of recent coups in Mali and Niger, where military juntas have seized power, distancing themselves from former colonial power France and the regional bloc ECOWAS. Instead, these countries, along with military-led Burkina Faso, have increasingly aligned politically and militarily with Russia.

Read more: Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali sign treaty to become confederation

Tinzaouatene was the site of a significant battle in late July, where separatists and jihadists claimed to have dealt a severe blow to the Malian army and the Russian paramilitary group Wagner.

On August 25, drone strikes on the town resulted in the deaths of around 20 civilians, including children, according to separatists and local sources.

The Malian army, however, stated it had targeted and killed around 20 armed individuals deemed as "terrorists" during the operation.

Read more: Mali regains territory from extremists with Russian cooperation

CSP spokesman Ramadan described the late August meeting as "fruitful," and "covered subjects of common interest and helped to strengthen our relations".

"At a time when the juntas have decided to carry out ethnic cleansing, we must organize ourselves to defend our territories and our people", he added.

The FPL, which is fighting for the reinstatement of Niger's ousted president Mohamed Bazoum, confirmed the meeting on its social media platforms.

"Discussions focused in particular on the need to sign a mutual assistance pact in the event of aggression by the states of the AES", the FPL said on its Facebook page.