Mali received new military equipment from its partner Russia on Tuesday, an AFP journalist in Bamako found, while announcing that it had raised nearly 420 million euros by placing securities on the regional market.
In a speech, Mali’s Defense Minister Sadio Kamara, a strongman in the military regime, praised the “mutually beneficial partnership with the Russian Federation” during an official ceremony attended by Russian diplomats and Colonel Asimi Goita, the interim president of the Sahel country.
The colonels, who seized power in a coup in August 2020 in a state amid a deep security crisis, decided to turn their backs on France, which had been involved militarily in the fight against the jihadists since 2013, choosing to work ever closer with Russia.
Moscow handed over several attack helicopters and weapons to the military regime in March. Mali has also hosted a large number of what the military junta presents as Russian trainers.
Bamako’s Western partners, for their part, are crediting the retreat from the military junta to the notorious Russian private military company Wagner. The regime denies this and talks about cooperation with the Russian army.
Moscow acknowledged in May that Wagner is present in Mali “on a commercial basis”.
“I must say that today’s ceremony is historic in its nature, the quality and the volume that you are delivering to us, of which we are only exhibiting a part here, as the rest (equipment) is of course being used in business at the time this ceremony is being held,” Mr. Kamara said.
“We are strengthening our reconnaissance and attack capabilities with the L39 and Sukhoi 25 fighters, which add to the Super Tucano and other aircraft we already have. As well as the Mi24P attack helicopters, which add to the Mi35 and Mi24 delivered already,” he added.
No information was made public about the terms of purchase of this equipment.
Mali has remained mired in a major crisis since 2012. The activity of jihadist groups, initially confined to the north of the country, has now spread to its central and southern regions, as well as neighboring countries, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Bamako also faced economic sanctions for six months from its West African partners because the military junta failed to honor its commitments to hold elections. The sanctions, which have had a major impact on Mali’s economy, came in early July after a timetable was presented that calls for the next presidential election to be held in 2024.
Yesterday, Mali announced that it had raised 277 million CFA francs (some 420 million euros) from private investors by placing securities on the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEM) market.
SOURCE: AMPE
Source: Capital
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