If finalised, the deal would mark a significant step in Washington’s effort to rebuild security cooperation with Bamako after years of strained relations. The proposed arrangement would permit U.S. surveillance operations aimed at monitoring jihadist networks linked to al Qaeda that have expanded across the Sahel.
The move was welcomed by Mali’s government, which said it could help “improve relations between our two countries” while maintaining respect for national sovereignty.
For Washington, the resumption of intelligence flights carries several strategic objectives. One immediate concern is the search for an American pilot who was kidnapped in neighbouring Niger while working for Christian missionaries. U.S. officials believe the pilot is being held in Mali by the regional jihadist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin.
The State Department declined to comment publicly on the negotiations, and Malian authorities have yet to respond to requests for further details.
Mali, a landlocked gold-producing state in the Sahel that is roughly twice the size of France, has become a focal point of the region’s escalating insurgency. Armed groups linked to al Qaeda and other extremist movements have increased attacks and kidnappings across large parts of West Africa.
Strategic Shift in US Sahel Policy
According to data from the conflict monitoring organisation Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, jihadist groups such as JNIM have used kidnappings of foreign nationals as a key source of funding.
Diplomatic engagement between Washington and Bamako has quietly intensified in recent months. The U.S. envoy to Africa, Nick Checker, travelled to Mali last month for talks with Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop.
According to the U.S. State Department, the visit aimed to signal Washington’s “desire to chart a new course” in bilateral relations.
Diop welcomed the outreach, saying the relationship should be based on mutual respect and non-interference.
The evolving approach reflects broader changes in US policy toward the region following a series of military coups across the Sahel. Several governments have distanced themselves from Western partners and turned toward Moscow for security support.
Analysts say earlier Western pressure for rapid democratic transitions often fuelled tensions with local governments. Catherine Nzuki of the Center for Strategic and International Studies has argued that criticism from Washington was frequently perceived in the region as paternalistic.
The diplomatic fallout became evident in 2024 when Niger expelled US troops from a newly constructed drone facility in Agadez following a dispute with American officials. The multimillion-dollar base had been intended to support surveillance operations across the wider Sahel.
A renewed intelligence partnership with Mali could therefore restore a crucial piece of Washington’s regional counterterrorism network, at a time when extremist groups continue to expand their reach across West Africa.
