Is Mali’s government in control of the north?

Last week the Malian army seized the town of Kidal, in the country's north - weeks after the United Nations stabilisation mission, MINUSMA, withdrew from its base there.

For the past decade, Kidal has been a stronghold of the Tuareg rebel group - and so its capture was a symbolic success for Mali’s military leaders, who seized power in 2020. They have made the restoration of territorial sovereignty a key priority.

The military government has given UN forces until the end of the year to withdraw from the country - triggering a race to seize territory between the army, rebel groups and jihadists.

But while the army is now in control of the military base – the question of who’s in control of the region is far more complicated. In this episode of Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja speaks to the BBC’s Beverly Ochieng and MINUSMA spokesperson, Fatoumata Kaba.