Trump May Launch Military Operation in Mali, Where Putin's "African Corps" is Located

The administration of US President Donald Trump is considering a military operation in Mali against the terrorist group JNIM, also known as "Al-Qaeda in the Sahel," informed sources told The Washington Post.

If this decision is approved, Mali will become the eighth country targeted by US strikes after Trump's return to the White House. Previously, American military forces struck Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, and Venezuela.

At the same time, as interlocutors of The Washington Post noted, there is no unity among high-ranking American officials on this issue. A strong proponent of the military option is Sebastian Gorka, Senior Director for Counterterrorism on the National Security Council.

The White House declined to comment on possible plans for a military operation in Mali, but noted that terrorism in the Sahel – a vast semi-desert region south of the Sahara – is a "multinational problem."

The Alliance of Sahel States includes Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. In all these countries in recent years, the military has overthrown democratically elected governments, severed ties with the West, and turned to Russia for security assistance. In particular, the "African Corps," formed by the Russian Ministry of Defense on the basis of mercenaries from PMC "Wagner," was sent to Mali.

This year, the terrorist group expelled Russian forces from several important cities. A representative of the Trump administration emphasized that Moscow "has shown its ineffectiveness as a partner to Mali."

"We hope that other African countries will note Russia's terrible results in combating terrorism," the American official said.

At the same time, as The Washington Post writes, a US military operation in Mali could lead to a confrontation with Russian forces. Therefore, to avoid possible conflicts, Washington and Moscow will have to coordinate their actions, as happened during the war in Syria, the publication notes.

This spring, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced an attempted coup in Mali, allegedly organized by the "Azawad Liberation Front" and JNIM. According to the Russian side, rebels attacked four major settlements — the capital Bamako, as well as the cities of Sévaré, Gao, and Kidal. They also attempted to seize the presidential palace. As a result of the attacks, Defense Minister Sadio Camara was killed.

In July, the General Staff of the Malian army reported rebel attacks on several cities, including Anefis and Aguelhok in the north of the country, Gao and Sévaré in the central part, as well as Kéniéroba in the south. Later, the military stated that they had regained control over strategic positions in Anefis, writes the Moscow Times.

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