MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed possible shipments of food, fertilizer and fuel to Mali on Wednesday during a phone call with country’s acting leader Assimi Goita, according to the Kremlin statement.
Goita said on Twitter that the two leaders discussed Russia’s support for Mali’s political transition.
Goita’s junta came to power in a coup two years ago and has repeatedly clashed with neighboring countries and Western powers over election delays, alleged military abuses and collaborating with Russian mercenaries in the fight against an Islamist insurgency.
The West African country has deepened its ties with Soviet-era Russia as relations with longtime ally and former colonial leader France soured this year.
“We discussed the Russian Federation’s support for Mali’s political transition and I commended the quality of our partnership, which respects the sovereignty of #Mali and the aspirations of its people,” Goita tweeted.
France announced in February that it would withdraw its troops from Mali after nearly a decade of fighting against insurgents, some linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, which have since spread across the Sahel region.
Since the end of last year, fighters from the Wagner Group, a private military company linked to the Kremlin, have supported the Malian army in its fight.
- Reuters
