The partnership between the JNIM jihadi rebels and the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) is the latest twist in a decades-long conflict in what is already the world's most terrorized region. It has resulted in some of the largest attacks Malian security forces and their partners have seen in years, analysts say. Earlier this month, they partnered to ambush a Malian military convoy, capturing or killing dozens of soldiers, and mounting pressure on the ruling junta. One of its stated goals was to drive out French forces which, at the time, were helping Malian forces to fight the jihadis. Analysts say JNIM has forced the Malian military to disperse across wider territories, stretching its operational capacity on multiple fronts.