BAMAKO — In the pre-dawn darkness of April 25, 2026, the Sahel region witnessed one of the most sophisticated military offensives in modern African history. Simultaneously striking five major cities, Bamako, Gao, Kidal, Kita, and Sévaré, an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 fighters launched a coordinated push that aimed to topple the Malian government. But as the smoke clears, the narrative of the attack reveals a complex web of geopolitical shifting, a "Syrian-style" insurgency st