Russian soldiers under fire in Mali

Russian soldiers under fire in Mali

The withdrawal of Russian soldiers from Kidal signals new risks for investors in Mali.

By Leon Louw founder of WhyAfrica and Endorphin Expeditions

Russian soldiers in Mali are under fire. Renewed clashes are being described as the largest coordinated attacks in the country in recent years.

The latest assault was carried out by al-Qaeda–aligned jihadist coalition Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslim (JNIM) and a Tuareg dominated rebel group. They forced troops of Russia’s Africa Corps to withdraw from the city of Kidal, in the northeast of Mali.

Russian state‑run broadcaster Vesti reported on Sunday that its Africa Corps was repelling a large‑scale Islamist ​attack on Mali’s government.

Protecting presidential palace

According to Vesti and Reuters Russian personnel were responding along with units of Mali’s Presidential Guard and armed forces, preventing the presidential palace from being seized.

Vesti said some members of Russia’s Africa Corps were wounded.

Is the Russian model sustainable?

The withdrawal from Kidal raises new questions about the sustainability of Russia’s security-for-resources model in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Recent events do not signal a full exit by Russia from the region.

However, it does highlight that Russian deployments are designed to secure strategic assets and not stabilise countries in the region.

Russia,(through the Wagner Group and now state-controlled Africa Corps) has built influence by offering military support to governments facing insurgencies or political instability.

In exchange, Russian-linked companies have secured access to valuable natural resources, particularly gold and diamonds.

Minerals sustain military operations

One example is the Ndassima Gold Mine in the Central African Republic, which has been under the control of a Wagner-linked entity since 2017.

Similar arrangements are emerging in Mali, where Russian-linked firms have positioned themselves to benefit from changes in mining regulations and future gold production.

There is growing evidence that revenues from African mineral extraction are helping sustain Russia’s global military operations.

Investigations suggest that billions of dollars in gold from African mines have entered international markets through opaque trading networks, providing Moscow with a useful source of hard currency amid sanctions related to the war in Ukraine.

Russian’s will remain in Africa

Despite the setback in Kidal Russian forces are likely to remain where economic interests are strongest to protect assets like mines, infrastructure and political centres.

To read more about African politics, natural resources and mining in West Africa, visit the WhyAfrica website, your one-stop shop for on the ground information and business intelligence about Africa.

Image: Clashes continue in Mali. Image credit: rawpixel.com

Russian soldiers under fire in Mali