Russian influence has been shaken: Mali’s defence minister has been killed, and allies are retreating due to the insurgents
This is reported by the Kyiv Independent.
Mali’s Defence Minister, Sadio Camara, was killed on 25 April following an attack on his home near the capital, Bamako. According to the authorities, the attack was carried out by militants linked to the Al-Qaeda terrorist network.
Kamara was considered one of the main architects of Mali’s cooperation with Russia.
His death came as the so-called African Corps, controlled by the Russian Ministry of Defence, withdrew from the city of Kidal following two days of fighting with rebels.
According to local sources, control of the city passed to separatists from the ‘Azawad Liberation Front’. The parties allegedly reached an agreement that allowed Malian government forces and their Russian allies to withdraw in an organised manner.
Moscow reacted sharply: the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed there was an “external hand” in the militants’ training, hinting at the involvement of Western entities, but provided no evidence.
The Russian presence in Mali has grown significantly since the 2021 military coup, when the new authorities refused to cooperate with France. Initially, the Wagner Group played a key role, but following the death of its founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in 2023, operations came under the control of regular Russian forces.
However, current events indicate that even with Russia’s active support, the Malian authorities do not control a significant portion of the territory, and the security situation continues to deteriorate.
Against this backdrop, Kamara’s death and the loss of control over Kidal could deal a serious blow both to the Malian junta’s position and to Moscow’s ambitions in Africa, the publication notes.
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