Mali Conflict 2026: A New Escalation of Violence and the Role of Russia In the spring of 2026, the conflict in Mali reached a critical phase. Coordinated attacks on April 25th, which took the life of the defense minister, the loss of control over the city of Kidal, and the forced withdrawal of the Russian "African Corps" from the symbolic capital of the Tuareg people — these events drew the attention of the entire world. The situation in the heart of the Sahel has escalated to the extreme, calling into question the sustainability of the military junta of Assimi Goïta and the effectiveness of the Russian military presence in the region. April 25th Explosion: A Coordinated Strike Against the System On April 25th, 2026, armed groups launched a series of coordinated attacks on six key cities in Mali: Bamako, Kati, Sévaré, Mopti, Gao, and Kidal. The attacks were unprecedented in scale and organization, catching the security forces off guard. The most symbolic strike was against the military base in the city of Kati — the actual residence of the ruling junta, located 15 kilometers from the capital. It was during this attack that Mali's Defense Minister Sadio Camara was killed, a key figure in the regime and the architect of military cooperation with Russia. The militants detonated a booby-trapped vehicle at his residence. According to media reports, members of his family were also killed. The death of Camara was a severe blow to the country's leadership and, in essence, demonstrated that the rebels are capable of striking targets in the heart of the military hierarchy. The attacks affected not only military installations. The Bamako airport was temporarily blocked, and international air traffic to Mali was suspended. The Mali General Staff initially tried to minimize the damage by claiming to have the situation under control, but the scale of the attacks and subsequent events refuted these statements. Unusual Alliance: JNIM and FLA Act Together A key feature of the Ap ... Read more