• The U.S. is negotiating to resume intelligence operations in Mali.

• Washington recently lifted sanctions on Malian officials.

• Talks reflect a broader shift in U.S. policy toward Sahel juntas.

The United States is close to reaching an agreement with Mali to resume intelligence-gathering operations in the country after several years of strained diplomatic relations, U.S. officials told international media outlets.

Washington is seeking authorization to fly aircraft and drones over Malian territory to monitor the activities of jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda, particularly Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), whose influence has spread across the Sahel in recent years.

Sanctions lifted

In a first concrete step toward rapprochement, Washington lifted sanctions on February 27 against Mali’s defense minister and other senior officials who had been accused of maintaining ties with Russian Wagner Group mercenaries.

While the update on the website of the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) did not explain the reasons for the move, authorities in Bamako welcomed the decision, describing it as a step toward improving bilateral relations while respecting national sovereignty.

The U.S. special envoy for Africa, Nick Checker, also traveled to Mali last month, where he met with Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop. According to the State Department, the visit aimed to “chart a new path” in relations between the two countries.

Beyond regional security concerns, the possible resumption of intelligence missions is also tied to the fate of an American pilot kidnapped in Niger and currently held in Mali by JNIM, according to the conflict monitoring group ACLED. The group frequently targets foreign nationals to finance its operations.

A shifting Sahel landscape

The Trump administration has largely abandoned its predecessor’s policy of promoting democratic governance in the Sahel, a region where several elected governments have been overthrown by military coups in recent years.

That shift has been welcomed by the authorities in Bamako, Niamey, and Ouagadougou.

Still, relations remain fragile. In December, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso introduced reciprocal measures in response to U.S. travel restrictions, highlighting the uncertain nature of Washington’s evolving ties with its former Sahel partners.

Fiacre E. Kakpo