Russia is abandoning its ally in Africa: Withdrawing forces after attacks by militant groups

The Front for the Liberation of Azawad (FLA), a rebel group dominated by Tuaregs, carried out simultaneous attacks across the country over the weekend, including in Kidal, in coordination with Al-Qaeda's branch in West Africa.

Africa Corps, which supported the military central government, stated in a communiqué that the decision to withdraw from Kidal was made in agreement with the Malian leadership.

"In accordance with a joint decision by the leadership of the Republic of Mali, units of Africa Corps that were deployed and participated in the fighting in the city of Kidal have withdrawn from the area along with members of the Malian army," the statement published on Telegram said.

Russian war bloggers downplayed the significance of the withdrawal, stating that Africa Corps could always return to Kidal if necessary.

Yuri Podolyak, a blogger with over 2.7 million followers, said the withdrawal was the only option and that "there is now a possibility of reaching an agreement with the Tuaregs so that the Malian army and Africa Corps can focus on fighting Islamist radicals."

Recall that forces controlled by the military junta, which has been in power in Mali since 2021, have failed to prevent militant groups from capturing several towns in Mali.

Additionally, the JNIM group, linked to Al-Qaeda, managed to break through to the capital, Bamako.