Malian Official Accuses Russian Forces of ‘Betrayal’ After Kidal Falls to Rebels

Mali’s crisis deepened on Tuesday, a day after Russian paramilitaries withdrew from the northern city of Kidal, allowing jihadist and Tuareg rebel forces to seize the strategic stronghold. The withdrawal came after coordinated attacks across the country killed Mali’s defence minister and struck targets near the capital, with a senior Malian official telling RFI that Russian forces had “betrayed” Bamako.

Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maïga has sought to reassure Malians after Saturday’s large-scale offensive by jihadist fighters from JNIM, an al Qaeda-linked group, and Tuareg separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA.

But the loss of Kidal, a strategic northern city long seen as a symbol of control over Mali’s restive north, and Russia’s retreat have opened a dangerous new political and military crisis for the ruling junta.

“The Russians betrayed us in Kidal,” one senior Malian official told RFI after Russia’s Africa Corps, the Kremlin-controlled paramilitary force that succeeded Wagner in Mali, confirmed its withdrawal.

The official said the regional governor had warned Russian mercenaries “three days before the attack”, but that “they did nothing,” adding that their departure appeared to have been negotiated in advance.

Malian troops, Russian paramilitaries and official civilian authorities have all now left Kidal for Gao, the largest city in northern Mali, leaving Kidal under the full control of JNIM and the FLA.

Reports also suggest Russian forces may be preparing to withdraw from other northern positions.

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Swift withdrawal

Saturday’s coordinated assault marked one of Mali’s gravest security crises in years, with attacks targeting Kati – the military garrison town near the capital Bamako and a key base of junta power – as well as the capital’s airport zone and several northern towns including Kidal, a longtime Tuareg stronghold.

Mali’s Defence Minister Sadio Camara, a central figure in the military government and one of the architects of Mali’s partnership with Russian mercenaries, was killed in an attack on his residence in Kati.

Russian Africa Corps (ex-Wagner) fighters had been stationed in Kidal, but instead of defending the city they withdrew with their equipment after negotiations with the city’s new rulers.

They later confirmed they had received permission to leave.

The withdrawal marks a major reversal. Malian forces, backed by Russian paramilitaries, had recaptured Kidal in November 2023 after years of control by Tuareg rebels.

Russia’s foreign ministry has said operations against insurgents are continuing, but the retreat from Kidal has raised fresh doubts about Moscow’s military role in Mali.

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Weak reassurances

Prime Minister Maïga addressed the nation on Monday, paying tribute to Camara and insisting that the jihadists’ plans had failed.

But the scale and coordination of the attacks – stretching from the outskirts of Bamako to several towns across the vast West African country – have shaken confidence in the junta’s security strategy.

General Assimi Goïta, the junta leader who seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, has still not appeared publicly since the attacks began, adding to uncertainty.

Jean-Hervé Jézéquel, director of the Sahel project at International Crisis Group, told RFI that while securing Goïta may be understandable, his silence is fuelling questions about the military government’s resilience.

Burkina Faso and Niger, Mali’s partners in the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a regional bloc created by the three military-led governments, have issued a statement of support but have not visibly intervened militarily despite their stated mutual defence pact.

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Threats to power

Analysts say the offensive demonstrated unprecedented coordination between jihadist and separatist forces, while exposing weaknesses in Mali’s military posture and its partnership with Russia.

The attacks showed that JNIM can strike deep inside Mali, even in areas once seen as secure. “It tells every Malian, every regional capital, and every foreign partner that JNIM can operate at will inside the supposedly secure heart of the state,” Justyna Gudzowska, executive director of The Sentry, told Reuters.

They also exposed intelligence failures after years of foreign military involvement in Mali.

“After nearly 20 years of military interventions by the US, French, European, African and Russian partners, the jihadists have only multiplied their areas of operation,” Sahel specialist Corinne Dufka added.

By RFI website.