Mali's chief of the general staff, General Élisée Jean Daou, visited Kidal on October 10 and 11 to inspect units involved in retaking the city and assess the security situation there.
In a statement, the general staff said Daou praised the forces involved in the operation and conveyed the transitional authorities' support. He said the recapture of Kidal had followed military preparations that included targeting armed groups' logistical capabilities and weaponry, before the advance towards Anefis and then Kidal.
The army chief said military operations would continue in other areas to pursue armed groups. He described the recapture of Kidal as one stage in the army's efforts to restore security across the country.
Kidal, in northern Mali, is a major centre of Tuareg rebellion and a stronghold of armed movements. The city has repeatedly been the scene of struggles for control and influence.
The Malian army retook it in November 2023, before it returned to armed groups' control in April 2026 following an offensive by the Azawad Liberation Front in coordination with Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin.
Government forces returned to the city on October 6 after the Azawad Liberation Front withdrew, in what the front described as an orderly withdrawal. This followed air strikes by the army with support from Russian forces.
