Daily brief
Mali attacks spotlight the growing reach of militants across West Africa, with a fragile jihadist-separatist alliance forming under a common enemy but not a common project. Sahel armies have launched coordinated strikes on militants in Mali, while the strategic Tessalit camp has fallen to Tuareg rebels in the north. Rebel checkpoints are reported around Mali’s capital, and a northern town has been seized. Jihadists aim to change rulers, not capture the capital. (ongoing coverage)