On January 4, 2024, the Malian military acquired six Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones. The military authorities say the drones will be used to “surveil the national territory, detect suspicious targets, track them and strike them, if necessary, with surgical precision.” Mali has been looking alternative suppliers of weapons after distancing itself from France. Weapon deliveries include those from Russia that took place in March and August 2022 and in January 2023.
Flashpoints: In Southern Chad, A Local Clash Reveals Deeper Fragility
Clashes near the town of Korbol in southern Chad on January 13, 2026, left soldiers and rebel fighters dead after the army issued a 48‑hour ultimatum to the Movement for Peace, Reconciliation and Development. The incident barely registered internationally, yet it captures a familiar cycle in Chad’s politics: armed groups rejecting disarmament, a government relying on military pressure, and border regions absorbing the costs. Looking at Korbol helps explain how under‑reported local flashpoints quietly sustain instability across the country.
