Moscow is once again showing its growing influence with the ruling junta in Bamako. Mali thus received on Tuesday new military equipment delivered by its Russian partner. The country also announced that it had raised nearly 420 million euros on the sub-regional market.
In his speech, the Malian Minister of Defense Sadio Camara, one of the strong men of the regime, praised the “win-win partnership with the Russian Federation” during an official ceremony in the presence of Russian diplomats and Colonel Assimi Goïta, the transitional president. The colonels, who took power by force in August 2020 in this country in the midst of security turmoil, have decided to separate from the old French ally engaged militarily against the jihadists since 2013 and to vigorously relaunch cooperation with Russia.
The question of Wagner’s role
“I must say that today’s ceremony is historic, both in the nature, the quality and the volume of what you are giving us, of which we will only present a part here, the rest of course being engaged in operation at the time of this ceremony,” said Sadio Camara. “We are consolidating our reconnaissance and attack capability with L39 and Sukhoi 25 fighter jets, which are added to the Super Tucano and other aircraft already in service. As well as the Mi24P type attack helicopters, which are added to the Mi35 and Mi24 already delivered,” he added. No information has been made public regarding the conditions for acquiring the equipment.
Russia had already delivered several combat helicopters and weapons in March. Mali has also welcomed in large numbers what the junta presents as Russian instructors. Western partners denounce for their part the use of the junta to the services of the private Russian security company Wagner, the decried actions. Bamako, on the other hand, denies this and speaks of a long-standing partnership with the Russian army. Russia had however admitted in May a presence of Wagner in Mali “on a commercial basis”.