Wayne Lumbasi
The United States is close to finalizing an agreement with Mali that would allow the United States to resume intelligence-gathering operations over the country, signaling a potential shift in relations after years of strained cooperation. The proposed deal would permit U.S. surveillance aircraft and drones to operate in Malian airspace to monitor militant groups operating across the volatile Sahel.
Security cooperation between the United States and Mali weakened in recent years following political upheaval and changes in the country’s international partnerships. Several Western security missions in the Sahel have been scaled back or withdrawn after military coups reshaped governments across the region, including in Mali. The shift significantly reduced Western intelligence and counter-terrorism operations that had previously supported regional forces.
Under the discussions, U.S. intelligence missions would focus on monitoring extremist networks linked to Al-Qaeda and its regional affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin. The group has carried out repeated attacks against security forces and civilians, contributing to growing instability across large areas of Mali and neighboring countries.
The negotiations come after the United States lifted sanctions on several senior figures within Mali’s military leadership, a move that helped reopen dialogue between the two governments on security cooperation. The discussions reflect growing concern about the expansion of armed groups across the Sahel and the need for improved monitoring of militant movements.
Resuming intelligence operations would allow the United States to track activity across remote and sparsely governed regions where armed groups operate and move across borders. Militants frequently carry out attacks and move between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, making cross-border intelligence an important part of counter-terrorism efforts in the region.
The renewed talks are also linked to efforts by U.S. authorities to locate an American pilot who was kidnapped by armed militants in Niger and is believed to have been taken into Mali. Surveillance flights could help monitor areas where militant groups are active as efforts continue to locate the captive.
If finalized, the agreement would restore a limited level of intelligence cooperation between the United States and Mali at a time when the Sahel continues to face escalating security challenges and governments across the region struggle to contain expanding insurgencies.
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