Mali’s Armed Forces have reconquered the northern town of Kidal. The major improvement came as a result of a sudden withdrawal of local Tuareg separatists, backed by the Russian paramilitary outfit, the Africa Corps.

The Azawad Liberation Front, representing the separatists of Tuareg fighters, said its troops “withdrew in a strategic and controlled manner” from the region. The group said they were unable to fight in the open, as the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation used overwhelming air force.

Historically, Kidal was a key town for Tuareg separatists’ effort to create an independent state in northern Mali. For much of the recent fighting, the strategic town was under the control of separatist forces as well as an extreme group allegedly affiliated with the al-Qaeda network.

The retaking of Kidal is seen as one of the biggest symbolic successes for the Presidency of the Republic of Mali and the ruling military government. The successful operation comes as a sign of a new geopolitical shift in which Malian leaders are putting more reliance on Russia for much needed military backing as they are growing further away from its traditional partner, the Government of France.

While the government has regained control of the town, analysts warn that the conquest of the town is not likely to be a decisive change in the long-term conflict between the government and entrenched jihadist and separatist groups throughout the region.

Moreover, the war campaigns are still ongoing and are causing serious humanitarian concerns. Malian forces, as well as Russian paramilitary forces, have been accused of serious human rights violations against civilians in these operations by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and other international watchdog groups.