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Russia’s Africa Corps has been involved in fighting European and Ukrainian-backed terrorist groups in Mali, after militants launched one of the largest coordinated attacks ever across the country. The attack was aimed at a producing a coup d’etat in the country.
Fighting erupted on Saturday (April 25) when Al-Qaeda affiliate JNIM and the Tuareg-dominated Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) launched simultaneous strikes on the capital city Bamako, as well as Kati, Gao, Kidal, and Sevare. Both AL-Qaeda and the FLA are backed by European – mainly French – forces, as well as Ukrainian military personnel who have served time in Russia. Mali’s defence minister, Sadio Camara, was killed during the attacks.
In a statement, the Africa Corps said they helped prevent a coup d’etat, as they held positions along the 2,000-km front line. They said they provided air support, preventing the seizure of key facilities, including the Presidential palace in Bamako. According to the Corps, militant casualties exceeded 1,000 – including an estimated 200 in Bamako, 500 in Gao, 300 in Kati, and 200 in Kidal – along with more than 100 vehicles destroyed.
The Africa Corps estimated the terrorist forces at 10,000 to 12,000, and said the assault was supported by Ukrainian and European mercenaries, adding that they deployed Western-made man-portable air-defense systems, including US-manufactured Stingers and French-made Mistrals.
The Africa Corps said some of its personnel sustained injuries and were being evacuated, while describing the situation in Mali as tense. The country was a French colony until 1960, however relations with France post-independence have deteriorated in recent years over allegations of corruption, the awarding of contracts on highly preferential terms to French companies, and French involvement in arming rebels and providing military assistance in the north of the country. Mali is Africa’s eighth-largest country, with a population of about 23.3 million. It has the third highest gold production in Africa and is a significant agricultural player.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said “preliminary data” points to the involvement of Western security services in training the attackers. Earlier this year, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused France of “attempting to overthrow undesirable nationalist governments” in the Sahara-Sahel using “outright terrorist groups” and “colonial methods.” Russia’s Africa Corps was established in 2023 from the rump of the Wagner Group and has since been absorbed into the professional Russian Army. They operate in Mali, the Central African Republic, and other Sahel states, with a mandate including counter-terrorism, training local forces, and securing strategic sites.
