CNN: Russia Suffers Reputational Blow In Africa
4- 10.05.2026, 19:38
- 1,568
The failure in Mali was a new embarrassment for the Kremlin.
When the Russian military was forced to pull back from its positions in the town of Kidal in northern Mali in April, it lost more than just territory.
The CNN reported on Sunday, May 10.
The withdrawal of the Russian Defense Ministry's so-called African Corps from the town of Kidal was a blow to Moscow's prestige, observers said, as Russia sought to position itself as the leading "security sponsor" in the Sahel region (comprising Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Cameroon and Gambia).
The failure in Mali was another link in a chain of unpleasant events for the Kremlin, with Russia effectively finding itself unable to support its longtime allies - such as Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela or Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
Kidal in northeastern Mali was captured by the Malian army and Russian mercenaries in 2023. That year was generally successful for Russia - at the Russia-Africa summit, Kremlin head Vladimir Putin announced the conclusion of military cooperation pacts with more than 40 African countries.
Russia's military presence in Africa, however, was founded by the Wagner Group, which operated in Libya, Mozambique and the Central African Republic, among other places.
The Wagner Group later evolved into the so-called African Corps, which was no longer a private military company, but subordinate to the Russian Defense Ministry. The capture of the town of Kidal in 2023 has been called "the only Russian victory" during that period. The rest of their ambitious plans for influence in Africa failed to materialize.
"The fall of Kidal and the humiliating and videotaped retreat of the Russians have done enormous damage to Moscow's reputation and ambitions in Africa," said Ulf Lessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a German think tank.
At the same time, analysts caution that Russia is still the only partner willing to directly deploy combat forces on the front lines. And for the Malian regime, which is struggling to fight the rebels, this is a critical factor.
"At the end of the day, Mali has no choice but to cooperate with Russia," Lessing emphasized.
On April 27, the Russian Defense Ministry's so-called African Corps officially confirmed its withdrawal from the town of Kidal, in northeastern Mali.
On April 28, the Russian propaganda agency TASS, citing a statement by Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko, reported that Russian mercenaries had been killed during the fighting in Mali and that equipment left behind by the so-called African Corps during its retreat had been seized by local rebels.
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