By John Ikani
Mali has received five military jets and a combat helicopter from Russia, the latest in a series of military hardware acquired by the West African nation from the Kremlin.
At a ceremony for the handover, Defence Minister Sadio Camara paid tribute to what he called Mali’s win-win partnership with Russia.
The new deliveries “strengthen our reconnaissance and attack capabilities ,” he said.
The Malian presidency tweeted images of the military equipment which includes L-39 and Sukhoi-25 jets as well as Mi-24P helicopter gunships.
Le Président de la Transition, SE le Colonel @GoitaAssimi, Chef de l’État, a présidé, ce mardi, la cérémonie de remise officielle d’un important lot d’aéronefs et d’équipements pour les Forces armées maliennes. pic.twitter.com/H5njuHQGNZ
— Presidence Mali (@PresidenceMali) August 9, 2022
No information was disclosed about the conditions for acquiring the gunships. Previous Russian arms deliveries made public this year, were helicopters and surveillance radars as well as mobile radar systems.
Ties between the two countries have grown since a coup in May last year.
On the flip side, relations between the former French Colony and France sharply deteriorated following two military coups in Bamako since August 2020, as well as after France’s decision earlier last year to redesign its military operations in the region.
What’s the current security situation in Mali?
Mali has been battered by a jihadist campaign that began in the north of the country in 2012. It then spread to the south and insurgents reached Burkina Faso and Niger.
Recently, Al-Qaeda terrorists have heaped pressure on Mali’s military. In July, jihadi rebels attacked Mali’s Kati military base on the outskirts of the capital city Bamako where the president of the transitional authorities resides.
Jihadist attacks have increased in recent weeks.
Over the weekend Islamist militants shot dead 17 soldiers and four civilians.
The army said nine other troops were missing and 22 soldiers were injured in the attack.
