The leader of Mali’s military government, Assimi Goita, on Tuesday made his first public appearance since insurgents launched coordinated attacks over the weekend, vowing in a televised address to “neutralize” those responsible.
West Africa’s al Qaeda affiliate and a Tuareg-dominated separatist group hit Mali’s main army base and the area near Bamako’s airport in the attacks on Saturday, while also pushing Russian troops supporting government forces out of the strategic town of Kidal in the north.
The attacks have triggered a scramble for territory across Mali’s vast desert north, raising the prospect of significant gains by armed groups that have shown an increasing willingness to strike neighbouring countries and, analysts say, could eventually set their sights further afield.
DEFENCE MINISTER KILLED
Mali’s defence minister, Sadio Camara, was killed in Saturday’s attacks. Goita had not been seen until his office on Tuesday afternoon published pictures of him meeting the Russian ambassador, Igor Gromyko.
The two men “discussed the current situation and the strong partnership between Bamako and Moscow”, and Gromyko “reaffirmed his country’s commitment to supporting Mali in the fight against international terrorism,” a social media post from Goita’s office said.
Goita also visited a hospital where people wounded in Saturday’s attacks were receiving treatment, and expressed condolences to Camara’s family, his office said.
He then delivered a brief address on the evening news in which he declared that “the situation is under control” and said operations would continue until they achieved “the complete neutralization of the groups involved” in the attacks.
The scale of the offensive, which hit multiple sites across the West African country, demonstrated an unprecedented ability by groups with differing objectives to work together and strike at the heart of the military government.
MILITANTS THREATEN SIEGE OF CAPITAL
In a video message distributed on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the al Qaeda affiliate, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), boasted about Saturday’s violence and described it as revenge for drone strikes and other attacks perpetrated by Malian forces.
The spokesperson, Bina Diarra, also threatened to implement a siege of Bamako, a city of 4 million people.
“As of today, Bamako is closed off from all sides,” he said in the message.
JNIM imposed a fuel blockade of Bamako last year, but it had eased in the period leading up to Saturday’s attacks.
RUSSIA SAYS INSURGENTS REGROUPING
Russia said on Tuesday that terrorist and separatist forces in Mali were regrouping after Moscow’s forces helped thwart what it described as a coup attempt on Saturday, preventing insurgents from seizing key facilities including the presidential palace.
“The enemy has not abandoned its aggressive intentions and is currently regrouping,” the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement.
Russian forces were conducting active reconnaissance operations to destroy insurgent field camps and stood ready to repel further attacks, it added.
Moscow’s response to the attacks is being closely watched across the continent and beyond at a time when its forces are tied down fighting in Ukraine and it is trying to deepen its role as a security guarantor to friendly resource-rich governments in Africa.
Mali turned to Russia for support after expelling French and U.N. troops following coups in 2020 and 2021.
ISLAMIC STATE FIGHTERS ENTER NORTHEASTERN TOWN
As Malian forces sought to mount a defense in the north, fighters from West Africa’s Islamic State affiliate entered the northeastern town of Menaka, five sources told Reuters on Tuesday.
The group, known as Islamic State in the Sahel Province, did not take part in Saturday’s fighting. However, its fighters were present in Menaka, near the border with Niger, as of Tuesday morning, according to two residents, two security analysts and an official from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA).
One resident said the fighters had established checkpoints in some neighbourhoods while Malian soldiers had moved to a nearby camp.
Another resident reported seeing terrorists come and go in small groups on motorcycles but said there was no gunfire and that people continued to move about the town.
None of the sources reported direct clashes.
ISSP and JNIM have fought each other for years. Since their first skirmishes in 2019, the two groups have clashed hundreds of times, leaving more than 2,100 people dead, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project.
FRANCE URGES CITIZENS TO LEAVE ‘AS SOON AS POSSIBLE’
France has urged its nationals in Mali to leave “as soon as possible” following coordinated attacks at the weekend, including in the capital Bamako, a travel advice update for the West African country said.
The security situation remains volatile and pending their departure, French citizens should stay at home, limit movement and follow instructions from local authorities while keeping relatives informed, the French foreign ministry said. All travel to Mali is strongly discouraged, the update said.
