Days after armed groups launched large-scale attacks on Malian military bases, junta leader Assimi Goita declared on Tuesday that the situation was 'under control,' with Russian security forces providing air support to prevent rebels from capturing key positions, including the presidential palace in Bamako.
However, the security situation in the West African nation remains volatile, as the government struggles to regain control of towns from Tuareg and al-Qaeda-linked fighters who have vowed to besiege the capital. Saturday's coordinated offensive in multiple cities, including Bamako, stunned the region. Mali's Defense Minister Sadio Camara was killed, and several cities, including the northern stronghold of Kidal, were seized. The junta claimed to have killed over 200 attackers.
Analysts are questioning the effectiveness of Bamako's military partnership with Moscow after reports emerged that Russian forces withdrew from Kidal. Mercenaries from the Russian government-owned Africa Corps group had been fighting alongside Malian troops there. On Monday, Africa Corps confirmed its withdrawal, stating it was a joint decision with the Malian government.
The Africa Corps, a Russian Defense Ministry unit that replaced the private Wagner Group, was deployed after Goita expelled French forces in 2022. France had previously stationed over 4,000 troops in the region. Saturday's attacks were jointly conducted by the separatist Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), targeting Kidal, Gao, Sevare, and Kati.
Russian fighters were seen leaving Kidal in trucks, reportedly after negotiating their exit via Algerian mediation. Some Malian soldiers were disarmed and captured; the military has not disclosed numbers. In a statement, Africa Corps claimed it evacuated wounded and heavy equipment first, provided air support, and helped repel attacks on the presidential palace. Russia's Defense Ministry alleged, without evidence, that 12,000 fighters attacked and were trained by Ukrainian and European mercenaries.
Analysts say Moscow has long used Wagner and Africa Corps as tools to influence African governments. Wagner had mixed results in Mali but was credited with helping secure Kidal in 2023. However, Saturday's attacks, the loss of Kidal, and Camara's death—who built the Russia partnership—deal a blow to Russia's Sahel campaign. 'Africa Corps has really lost credibility,' said Ulf Laessing, West Africa program lead at Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung. 'They didn't put up a fight and left Kidal, a symbolic Tuareg stronghold.' Remaining Malian troops and officials have reportedly left Kidal for Gao.
The junta leader Goita appeared in a video on Tuesday, his first since the attacks, stating security operations are ongoing. He did not mention Russian fighters. As JNIM announces a siege on Bamako, Russia's effectiveness in the region is increasingly doubted. 'Russia will struggle to attract new clients for Africa Corps because they just didn't do their job—it's reputational damage,' Laessing added.
Source: www.aljazeera.com