REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK
‘Economic incentives are limited’: What does Russia really offer Africa?
African nations weigh political incentives as Moscow offers limited economic benefits compared with China and the West.
Mali
![Mali's leader Assimi Goita attends an Independence Day military parade in Bamako, Mali, on September 22, 2022 [AP Photo/File]](/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/AP23169375543892-1780760888.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
![Mali’s Assimi Goita, Niger’s General Abdourahamane Tiani and Burkina Faso’s Captain Ibrahim Traore are united by a push for greater sovereignty and strategic autonomy [Mahamadou Hamidou/Reuters]](/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-07-06T181508Z_1249496886_RC2PP8AXR1TZ_RTRMADP_3_WESTAFRICA-SECURITY-SAHEL-1720621774.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
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Tuareg rebels free more Malian soldiers in prisoner swap, sources say
Tuareg rebels have freed about 60 Malian soldiers in exchange for one of their own leaders, security sources said.
![A Malian soldier stands near a truck during a patrol following the attack on Mali's main military base Kati, outside the capital Bamako, in Kati, Mali, April 27, 2026 [Stringer/Reuters]](/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2026-04-27T121509Z_1695817415_RC2MXKAWT8W6_RTRMADP_3_MALI-SECURITY-1787963389.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
Nigeria and the Sahel: A growing security divide
A widening diplomatic rift is complicating efforts to confront a shared cross-border security threat.
![Security cooperation in the Sahel has become increasingly fragmented as regional governments pursue different approaches to fighting armed groups [Philippe Desmazes/AFP]](/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/000_Par8191835.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
Russian paramilitaries in Mali kill nine, including children: HRW
Human Rights Watch alleges that the killings by Africa Corps troops took place in the presence of Malian soldiers.
Mali says 82 soldiers captured by armed groups have been freed
Malian army says the soldiers were held prisoner by Tuareg and al-Qaeda-linked armed groups in the northern region.
Russia’s Africa Corps killed Mali civilians in air strike: HRW
Russian paramilitaries fight alongside Malian soldiers battling multiple armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL.
Why Mali’s northern conflict has entered a dangerous new phase
A separatist–al-Qaeda alliance has shifted the balance of power in northern Mali and complicated efforts to end the war.
How armed group alliances are reshaping Mali’s conflict and the wider Sahel
A deadly attack near Anefis exposes the growing challenges facing Mali’s military leaders.
![A vehicle burns in Mali as the country faces renewed insecurity and intensified fighting [Azaward Liberation Front via AP]](/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AP26199696598399-1784634685.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
From: NewsFeed
At least 50 Malian soldiers killed in attack on military convoy
At least 50 Malian soldiers were killed after a joint Malian army and Russia’s Africa Corps convoy was ambushed.
Published On 19 Jul 2026
Armed groups attack Malian military convoy in Gao region
Mali says counterattack under way as rebels claim they inflicted ‘human losses’ and ‘material damage’ on troops.
Some 30 Malian soldiers killed during retaking of key town, says army chief
General Jean Elysee Dao says 60 others also wounded as army retakes key town after nearly a week of fighting.
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