Photographs released by Assimi Goita’s office on Tuesday, April 28, showed Mali’s military leader seated with Russian Ambassador Igor Gromyko at the presidential palace in Bamako. It was Goita’s first public appearance since coordinated attacks hit the country on Saturday.
That evening he went on television. “Military operations will continue until the armed groups involved have been completely neutralized and security has been sustainably restored throughout the country,” he said. He called the attacks “part of a broader destabilization campaign devised and carried out by armed terrorist groups and their internal and external sponsors.”
What happened on Saturday
The Associated Press reported that strikes landed in at least four places: Bamako’s international airport, the garrison town of Kati, and the northern cities of Kidal and Sevare. Al-Qaeda-linked militants and the separatist Azawad Liberation Front were involved. Defense Minister Gen. Sadio Camara was killed. Al Jazeera described the assaults as the largest in nearly 15 years.
Three days on, no one outside the fighting could say who held which ground or how many had died. The U.S. Embassy put out a security alert about “possible terrorist movements within Bamako, including reports of forced school closures.”
Moscow’s account
Russia’s Defense Ministry called the offensive a coup attempt and said its Africa Corps had helped stop it, putting the number of attackers at approximately 12,000. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty cited a range of 10,000 to 12,000 fighters, again from Africa Corps.
The ministry did admit its troops left Kidal. It called that a decision made by the government, and said the garrison “fought for more than 24 hours in full encirclement against vastly superior enemy forces and repelled four massive attacks.” The Azawad Liberation Front says it took the town after Malian and Russian forces pulled out. Mali’s government has given no detailed account, and Russia’s version has not been independently confirmed.
Other reports are less flattering to Moscow. According to RFE/RL, hundreds of Russian fighters withdrew and left tanks, drones and other equipment behind. A Russian helicopter was reportedly shot down and its crew killed. Social media footage reportedly showed Russian and Malian troops surrendering. Ulf Laessing, an analyst based in Mali, told the outlet: “The Russians, they were there to improve the security situation…now they’re leaving in a very humiliating way.”
The pullout reverses a scene from November 2023, when Africa Corps fighters celebrated taking Kidal alongside government troops.
A signal to Bamako
Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque said the photographs show how much the military government leans on “Russian mercenaries” for its security. In his reading, Goita was “trying to reassure the country that he is in charge and, with the help of the Russians, he will be able to garner safety for the people in Bamako.”
Goita has run Mali since a 2020 coup, and Russia backs his government through the Africa Corps. On Tuesday, armed groups were still gathering in the north, and Moscow warned they might regroup for new attacks.
Sources
- Mali's junta leader meets Russian ambassador after attacks the Kremlin called a coup attempt
- Mali military leader Goita emerges as Russia declares it halted coup
- Russia Hoped Africa Corps Would Replicate Wagner's Success. It's Not Going Well.
