U.S. Nears Mali Intelligence Flight Deal

The United States is close to finalizing a deal with Mali to resume intelligence-gathering flights over Malian airspace, targeting jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda, specifically Jama at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM). This rapprochement follows the U.S. lifting sanctions on Mali's defense minister and other officials, a key request from Bamako. The initiative is partly driven by the desire to locate an American pilot kidnapped in Niger and believed to be held by JNIM in Mali. This move signifies a broader shift in U.S. policy towards the Sahel, moving away from democracy promotion towards security cooperation, which has been welcomed by Mali and other Sahelian nations like Burkina Faso and Niger. Despite some setbacks, such as reciprocal travel bans, both the United States and Mali see mutual benefits in renewed intelligence sharing to combat the growing insurgency.