Mali offers up to 2 billion cfa for capture of jihadist leader Iyad Ag Ghaly

The Malian government has announced a bounty of up to 2 billion FCFA for the capture of Iyad Ag Ghaly, the leader of the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), and several of his associates. The decision follows coordinated attacks in Kidal and Kati two months ago, involving both jihadists and separatists from the Front de Libération de l’Azawad (FLA).

In an official statement from the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection, headed by General Daoud Aly Mouhammedine, authorities are calling on citizens to assist the armed forces in locating seven individuals deemed threats to national stability.

Government announcement details

The statement declared, “In the ongoing fight against terrorism and to safeguard national security, the Government of the Republic of Mali informs the public that a financial reward will be granted to anyone providing reliable, actionable information leading to the arrest or neutralization of the following individuals.”

The rewards include:

• 2 billion FCFA for the capture of Iyad Ag Ghaly, leader of JNIM (also known as the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims);
• 1.5 billion FCFA each for Amadou Koufa, head of the Macina Katiba, and Abdoulaye Mohamed (alias Habib), also of the Macina Katiba;
• 1 billion FCFA for Algabas Ag Intallah, a key political and military figure of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA);
• 500 million FCFA each for three FLA leaders: Ghita, Bilal Chérif, and Abderrahmane Al Banna.

The announcement comes in the wake of the April 25 attacks carried out by JNIM jihadists alongside FLA separatists, which resulted in the death of Defense Minister Sadio Camara.

Who is Iyad Ag Ghaly?

Born in 1958 in Boghassa, Kidal, Iyad Ag Ghaly is a Malian Tuareg warlord and jihadist leader. His influence has shaped the security landscape of the Sahel for over a decade.

In the 1970s, he fled to Libya, joining Muammar Gaddafi’s forces alongside other Tuareg fighters, taking part in conflicts in Lebanon and Chad. Returning to Mali in the early 1990s, he founded the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MPLA) and launched the Tuareg rebellion.

He later became a key figure in the Azawad Popular Movement (MPA), leading armed resistance against the Malian state before signing a peace agreement in 1992. Over time, his focus shifted toward Islamism and jihadism, culminating in his alliance with the Group for Salafist Combat (GSPC), an Al-Qaeda affiliate, in 2007—a group that later evolved into Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

In 2012, Ghaly established Ansar Dine, aligning with AQIM to impose sharia law in northern Mali. By 2017, he founded and took leadership of JNIM, uniting several Malian jihadist factions under the banner of Al-Qaeda. The group has since expanded its operations across the Sahel, including Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, forming part of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

According to the Timbuktu Institute, Ghaly has become “the most wanted man in the Sahel and the gravest threat to Mali’s government.” His strategy has evolved beyond direct military confrontation. Analysts note a shift toward economic strangulation, targeting critical infrastructure such as roads, power lines, and fuel supplies to cripple urban centers and destabilize the regime in Bamako.

An international arrest warrant has been issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Iyad Ag Ghaly, accusing him of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed between 2012 and 2013.