Russian "African Corps" regained control of Kidal half a year after losing the city
PMC "Wagner" mercenaries were able to capture Kidal for the first time in November 2023. They left the city in April.
Russian servicemen from the "African Corps", together with the Malian army, have regained control over the city of Kidal in the northeast of the country. According to the Russian military, the operation to advance on this city was carried out from October 1 to 7 with air support, writes the BBC.
For almost 10 years, the Malian government could not establish control over Kidal, which was seized by Tuaregs advocating for the creation of an independent state of Azawad in the north of the country.
PMC "Wagner" mercenaries were able to capture Kidal for the first time in November 2023, after which the Russian Foreign Ministry congratulated the government in Bamako on this achievement. However, after Yevgeny Prigozhin's death, when the positions of the mercenaries in Mali were taken over by the "African Corps," subordinate to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the situation for Assimi Goïta's regime rapidly deteriorated.
In April 2026, it became known that Kidal had been abandoned again. This became a tangible image blow for the Malian government. Now the country's authorities are announcing a new successful operation in this direction. At the same time, the question remains open as to how long they will manage to maintain control over the city.
One of the activists of the "Azawad Liberation Front" told the BBC Russian Service in response to a question about the situation in Kidal: "Kidal was used for political purposes; in the coming weeks, you will get an answer to this situation."
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