Le Mali entame un appel téléphonique crucial avec Poutine
This development follows a high-level telephone conversation between the interim president of Mali, Assimi Goïta, and the Russian president Vladimir Putin on August 19, at the initiative of the Malian side.
According to the Kremlin, Goita expressed his gratitude for Russia's significant support in strengthening security in Mali and in the fight against international terrorism, including attacks perpetrated by armed extremist groups.
The Kremlin indicated that the two leaders pledged to continue their coordination efforts to ensure stability in Mali and throughout the Saharan and Sahelian region.
The Russian presidency also indicated that the leaders discussed key issues on the bilateral agenda and agreed to continue developing political dialogue and contacts at different levels.
They also intend to promote the increased development of mutually beneficial cooperation in the commercial, economic and humanitarian fields.
Mali's pivot from the West to Russia
Mali's relations with Western powers have deteriorated considerably since the army seized power.
France withdrew its troops from Mali in 2022 after relations with the junta collapsed, ending a nearly 10-year French military operation against Islamist militants in the country.
The crisis has spread beyond France. Mali, along with Burkina Faso and Niger, withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in January 2025 after years of confrontation with the regional bloc due to the military regime and demands for a return to civilian government.
The three countries then consolidated their partnership within the Alliance of Sahel States, positioning this bloc as an alternative to regional structures aligned with the West.
Meanwhile, Mali has moved closer to Moscow, with Russia's African Corps becoming a central element of its external security support after the departure of Wagner forces from the country.
This shift allowed Moscow to strengthen its influence in the strategically important Sahel region, while offering Bamako an alternative security partner as relations with France and other Western governments deteriorated.
But this partnership faces its own challenges.
Mali continues to fight jihadist groups, particularly Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), linked to Al-Qaeda, despite the presence of Russian personnel and the continuation of military operations by the Malian armed forces.
Africa Corps has also been the subject of allegations of abuses. In July, Human Rights Watch stated that a Russian airstrike in central Mali killed eight civilians, including three children, and described the attack as apparently unlawful and indiscriminate.
The latest call between Putin and Goita therefore reinforces an established strategic alignment rather than announcing a new military deployment.
The decision by both sides to also prioritize trade, economic and humanitarian cooperation suggests that the partnership is increasingly extending beyond security to become a broader strategic relationship.
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