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Mali–Russia relations

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Mali–Russia relations
Map indicating locations of Mali and Russia

Mali
Russia

Mali–Russia relations (Russian: Российско-малийские отношения) are the bilateral relations between Mali and Russia.

History

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Soviet-era relations (1960–1991)

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Ambassador Bréhima Coulibaly presenting his letter of credence to President Dmitry Medvedev, 16 January 2009

The Soviet Union recognised the independence of Mali on 7 July 1960, and diplomatic relations between the two states were established on 14 October 1960.[1] Following the collapse of the Mali Federation, and due to French support for Senegal, Modibo Keïta, the first President of Mali, sought closer ties with the Soviet Union.[2] In 1961 the two countries signed trade and cultural pacts,[3] and the Soviet Union granted Mali loans and other aid,[2] which included the acquisition of two Ilyushin Il-18 passenger aircraft for Air Mali.[4][5] Under the cultural agreement Russia sent circus performers, sports coaches and a soccer team to Mali.[6]

When Keïta was overthrown by Moussa Traoré by a coup d'état in 1968, Traoré improved relations with France and other Western countries, but Mali remained dependent on the Soviet Union for the arming and training of its military. Approximately 50 Soviet military advisors provided armour, artillery and parachute training to Mali's military, and trained all of Mali's pilots.[7] The Soviets also improved the Malian Air Force base in Mopti, and occasionally used Malian airfields to stage supply flights for groups it supported in Angola.[7]

On 16 January 1992, Mali recognised the Russian Federation as the successor state of the Soviet Union, after the latter's dissolution.[8]

Military rule in Mali (2020–present)

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Assimi Goïta with Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, Russia, 29 July 2023
Malick Diaw with Putin's close associate Vyacheslav Volodin in Moscow, Russia, 19 March 2023

In 2020, a coup d'état in Mali deposed President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta and replaced his government with a junta led by Colonel Assimi Goïta. Russian involvement in the coup has been speculated.[9][10][11] The Malian government has increasingly allied with Russia since Goïta assumed direct control in 2021.[12][13]

Mercenaries from the Russian private military company Wagner Group began arriving in Mali in late 2021,[14] followed by Russian military equipment donations and advisors throughout 2022 and 2023.[15][16] In November 2022, Minister of Economy and Finance Alousséni Sanou [fi] said Russia was committed to send 60,000 tonnes of petroleum products, 30,000 tonnes of fertiliser and 25,000 tonnes of wheat, for a total worth of around $100 million.[17]

In February 2023, Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov met Malian military junta leaders to ensure his country's support to Mali against the Islamist insurgency in the Sahel.[18] Goïta was one of the few heads of state present at the 2023 Russia–Africa Summit.[19]

According to the United States Department of State, the Malian junta is suspected of routing foreign military purchases to Wagner, which were "intended for use in Ukraine" during the ongoing invasion.[19][20]

Diplomatic relations

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Second-hand Aero L-39 jets donated to Mali by Russia, Bamako airport, 9 August 2022.

Russia has an embassy in Bamako, and Mali has an embassy in Moscow. The current Russian ambassador to Mali is Igor Gromyko [ru], since 17 June 2019.[21] The current Malian ambassador to Russia is Seydou Kamissoko, who was nominated on 24 May 2023.[22]

In 2003, meetings were held by Alexander Makarenko, Director of the Africa Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with N. L. Traoré, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Mali.[23] In 2005 Anatoly Safonov, the Special Presidential Representative for International Cooperation in the Fight Against Terrorism and Cross-Border Organized Crime, met from 25 January 2005 through 28 January 2005 in Bamako with his Malian counterpart.[24]

References

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  1. ^ Ginsburgs, George; Slusser, Robert M. (1981). A calendar of Soviet treaties, 1958-1973. Brill Publishers. p. 845. ISBN 90-286-0609-2. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
  2. ^ a b Bingen, R. James; Robinson, David; Staatz, John M. (2000). "From Military Dictatorship to Democracy". Democracy and development in Mali. Clark, Andrew F. MSU Press. pp. 255–256. ISBN 0-87013-560-0. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
  3. ^ "Russia and Mali Sign Trade, Cultural Pacts". Chicago Tribune. 19 March 1961. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
  4. ^ Guttery, Ben R. (1998). "Mali". Encyclopedia of African airlines. Ben Guttery. p. 120. ISBN 0-7864-0495-7. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
  5. ^ "Russia Signs Pact to Sell Planes to Mali". Chicago Tribune. 21 March 1961. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
  6. ^ "Reds Aid Mali". Associated Press in Eugene Register Guard. 18 February 1962. Retrieved 17 July 2009. Under a cultural agreement with Mali, Russia« ill send circus performers, sports coaches and a football team to the former French African colony ...
  7. ^ a b "Soviet Military Policy in the Third World" (PDF). Department of State. 21 October 1976. p. 28. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  8. ^ Российско-малийские отношения (in Russian). Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 16 February 2009. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
  9. ^ "Was Russia behind the coup in Mali?". Deutsche Welle. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  10. ^ Obaji, Philip Jr. (21 August 2020). "Russia Trained the Militants Who Just Seized Power in Mali". The Daily Beast.
  11. ^ Obaji, Philip Jr. (2 June 2021). "How These Coup Plotters Staged a False Flag Pro-Russia March". The Daily Beast.
  12. ^ O'Grady, Siobhán; Chason, Rachel (5 August 2024). "Mali cuts ties with Ukraine, claiming Kyiv's involvement in rebel attacks". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Mali cuts diplomatic ties with Ukraine over Wagner attack controversy". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  14. ^ Burke, Jason; Akinwotu, Emmanuel (4 May 2022). "Russian mercenaries linked to civilian massacres in Mali". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  15. ^ "Mali Junta Leader Discusses Security, Economy with Putin". The Moscow Times. Agence France-Presse. 14 June 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  16. ^ "Russian military advisors arrive in Mali after French troop reduction". France 24. 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  17. ^ "Russia to send $100m in food and fuel to Mali, minister says". Al Jazeera. 3 November 2022.
  18. ^ "Russia vows to boost military cooperation with Mali". DW. 8 February 2023.
  19. ^ a b Monteau, Flore (28 July 2023). "Russia-Africa summit: Goïta and Traoré show support for Putin". The Africa Report. Archived from the original on 28 July 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  20. ^ Le Cam, Morgane (27 May 2023). "US says Russia's Wagner tried to use Mali to arm itself in Ukraine". Le Monde. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  21. ^ "Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 17.06.2019 № 281 «О Чрезвычайном и Полномочном После Российской Федерации в Республике Мали»" [Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of 17.06.2019 No. 281 "On the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Mali"]. Официальное опубликование правовых актов (in Russian). 17 June 2019. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  22. ^ "Mise en route de trois nouveaux ambassadeurs – Koulouba" (in French). 3 July 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  23. ^ "On Russian-Malian Inter-MFA Consultations". Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2009. Russian-Malian political consultations took place in Bamako on April 30 - May 1, conducted by Alexander Makarenko, Director of the Africa Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and N. L. Traore, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Mali.
  24. ^ "Russian-Mali Consultations on the Combating of International Terrorism". Embassy of Russia in Ghana. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2009. His meetings with the President of the Republic of Mali and senior officials from security structures and the Foreign Ministry have shown that the two sides have common approaches to the problems in counteraction against international terrorism in all its manifestations. The Mali highly assessed the Russian Federation's contribution to intensifying the antiterrorist struggle, and its activity as the Chairman of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee.
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