Published On 4/29/2026
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Last update: 02:25 (Mecca time)
The head of the military junta in Mali, Assimi Goita, confirmed that “the situation is under control,” after 3 days of unprecedented attacks launched by armed groups on strategic sites of the authority, which seemed more weak than ever before.
In his first appearance since those attacks, Goeta at the same time acknowledged the “extreme seriousness” of the situation in the country, calling on the population not to be drawn into “division.”
After days of absence and silence, Goeta reappeared yesterday, Tuesday, following attacks carried out by gunmen from the Group to Support Islam and Muslims, allied with Tuareg separatists in the “Front for the Liberation of Azawad”, who continue to advance in the north of the country.
The Malian leader’s absence and silence in recent days has raised speculation about his ability to remain in power.
He said in a speech broadcast on state television on Tuesday evening, “Security measures have been strengthened. The situation is under control, and combing, searching, gathering information, and securing the areas are continuing.”
He called on the population to “a national uprising” and “confront national division and rift,” considering that “Mali needs prudence, not panic.”
Before his speech, Goeta appeared in pictures broadcast by Malian media and pages affiliated with the presidency in Mali, receiving the Russian ambassador to Mali and his accompanying delegation. He also appeared in other pictures visiting the wounded of the widespread attacks that targeted the capital last Saturday.
A statement issued by the Malian presidency stated that Goeta received at the Koloba Palace in the capital, Bamako, the Russian ambassador to Mali, Igor Gromyko.
The statement confirmed that they discussed “the current situation and the strong partnership between Bamako and Moscow,” and that the Russian ambassador affirmed “his country’s commitment to standing alongside Mali in the fight against terrorism.”
Days of mysterious disappearance
Goaita’s appearance comes after more than 3 days of absence, and after rumors circulated claiming that he was in the same place where Defense Minister Sadio Camara was killed during the recent attacks.
On Monday, the Malian authorities announced the death of Defense Minister Sadio Camara during clashes on Saturday, noting that he was killed in a suicide bombing that targeted his home.
Kamara is considered one of the most prominent leaders of the ruling military council, and one of the most important architects of the ruling council’s military orientation towards strengthening the partnership with Russia.
The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed earlier that the militants who took control of the city of Kidal in the north of the country are reorganizing their ranks. It also acknowledged that elements of the Africa Corps (formerly Wagner), affiliated with the Russian government and supporting the Malian forces, withdrew from the city, which has come under the control of armed groups.
The Malian forces engage in confrontations from time to time, with elements of the Group to Support Islam and Muslims linked to Al-Qaeda, along with their allies in the Front for the Liberation of Azawad, in a conflict that brought to mind the crisis of 2012, when a similar alliance took control of large areas of northern Mali before the alliance disbanded and disintegrated.
Threat of siege of the capital
In another development, the Group to Support Islam and Muslims threatened – via a video – to impose a siege on the capital, Bamako, which has a population of about 4 million people.
A spokesman for the group said that Bamako will be closed starting today, from all sides.
In this context, the US Embassy in Bamako issued a warning calling on its citizens to remain in their homes and avoid any unnecessary movement, against the backdrop of what it described as “possible terrorist movements within the city,” according to what it said were reports it had been informed of.
Despite this, a state of cautious calm prevails in the capital, Bamako, and the city of Kati, 15 kilometers from the capital, after the bloody attacks.
Saturday attacks
The group Supporting Islam and Muslims, a branch of Al-Qaeda in West Africa, and the Tuareg-dominated Liberation Front of Azawad, launched widespread and simultaneous attacks on several areas in Mali, including the Kati strategic camp, located about 15 kilometers from the capital, Bamako, and the vicinity of Modibo Keita International Airport in Bamako, in addition to the cities of Kidal and Gao in the north, and Mopti and Sevare in the center of the country.
According to a medical source, the attacks resulted in the deaths of at least 23 civilians and military personnel, most of them in the attack that targeted Camp Kati, which is considered the second largest military stronghold for the army after Bamako, and includes a number of senior military junta officials.
These attacks were described as the most violent and widespread in nearly 15 years, and witnessed a rare alliance between two former rivals: armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda and Tuareg separatists.
