Pro-Russian Military Junta in Mali on the Verge of Collapse: Jihadists Blockade the Capital

Russian influence in Mali is under threat after the military junta of President Assimilie Goïta effectively lost control of the country.

Jihadists affiliated with al-Qaeda have blockaded the capital Bamako, cutting off the supply of fuel and critical resources, The Insider reports.

Moscow has been betting on Goïta since the coup, when he ousted the civilian government and invited Russian mercenaries to the country.

The Wagner PMC and later the African Corps of the Russian Defense Ministry became the only foreign force in Mali after the French and UN peacekeepers left.

The Russian mercenaries operating in Mali were notable for numerous crimes against civilians and even against the local military.

In the summer, dozens of officers were arrested for preparing anti-government protests caused by Russian bullying.

Russia gained access to gold, uranium, and lithium, and signed an agreement to build a refinery with a capacity of up to 200 tons of gold per year. The Kremlin hoped to turn Mali into a strategic foothold in West Africa.

However, the junta proved unable to ensure stability. The country’s army is suffering defeats, and jihadists are gradually surrounding the capital.

This calls into question not only the future of the Goïta regime but also all Russian investments and military projects.

According to the French newspaper Le Monde, Ukrainian intelligence services are cooperating with Tuareg rebels in Mali, including training them to fly drones.

According to one of the rebel commanders, “exchanges” with Ukrainian special services are indeed taking place to see how they can cooperate.

“We have ties with the Ukrainians, but we also have ties with everyone else – the French, the Americans and the rest,” CSP-DPA spokesman Mohamed Elmauloud Ramadan admitted.