Mali’s military ruler Assimi Goita held talks with Russia’s ambassador on Tuesday, his office said, marking his first public appearance since a wave of coordinated insurgent attacks shook the country over the weekend.
The meeting comes days after armed groups — including an al-Qaeda affiliate and a Tuareg-led separatist movement — launched near-simultaneous assaults on key military positions, targeting the main army base and areas surrounding Bamako’s international airport.
The offensive also forced Russian-backed fighters supporting the junta to withdraw from the northern city of Kidal, a long-contested stronghold.
Mali’s defence minister, Sadio Camara, was killed in the attacks, dealing a significant blow to the military leadership. Goita had not been seen publicly until Tuesday’s statement from his office confirmed the meeting with Moscow’s envoy.
Analysts say the scale and coordination of the attacks — spanning multiple regions and involving groups with differing agendas — highlight a growing operational capability among insurgent forces and expose vulnerabilities within the military government’s security apparatus.
Despite the developments, authorities insist the situation remains under control, with the junta maintaining that security forces are stabilising affected areas.