Russian-controlled paramilitary withdraws from northern Mali town following coordinated rebel assaults
Africa Corps, a paramilitary force controlled by Russia’s Defence Ministry, said on Monday that it had withdrawn its troops from the northern Malian town of Kidal following intense fighting.
Black News 
Africa Corps, a paramilitary force controlled by Russia’s Defence Ministry, said on Monday that it had withdrawn its troops from the northern Malian town of Kidal following intense fighting.
- Africa Corps, a Russian-controlled paramilitary force, has withdrawn its troops from Kidal in northern Mali after heavy fighting.
- The retreat followed coordinated attacks by the Azawad Liberation Front, a Tuareg-led group allied with an al-Qaeda affiliate, on multiple sites in Mali.
- The withdrawal was a joint decision with Malian authorities, with evacuations prioritising wounded soldiers and heavy equipment.
- Despite pulling out of Kidal, Africa Corps stated its forces remain operational elsewhere in Mali, emphasising that the security situation remains difficult.
Africa Corps, a paramilitary force controlled by Russia’s Defence Ministry, said on Monday that it had withdrawn its troops from the northern Malian town of Kidal following intense fighting.
The withdrawal comes after coordinated attacks over the weekend by the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a Tuareg-led group, which targeted multiple locations across Mali, including Sevare and Mopti, and Kidal in the north, on the southern fringes of the Sahara desert.
The assaults were reportedly carried out in coordination with a West African affiliate of al-Qaeda, Reuters reported.
Africa Corps, which has been backing Mali’s military-led government, said the decision to pull out of Kidal was made jointly with Malian authorities.
Joint evacuation of troops and equipment
In a series of social media posts, Russia's Africa Corps said they had "left the locality" along with Malian troops, adding that wounded soldiers and heavy equipment were evacuated first.
Despite the retreat, the group said its forces remain active and continue to carry out assigned operations, noting that the security situation in Mali remains “difficult.”
The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) - comprising Mali and the neighbouring countries of Burkina Faso and Niger said the attacks were a "monstrous plot backed by the enemies of the liberation of the Sahel". Still, it did not go into any further detail.
The Africa Corps is overseen by Russian Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, with its operations run by Maj-Gen Andrey Averyanov, a key figure in the GRU military intelligence service.
Pro-Russian military bloggers sought to downplay the significance of the withdrawal, suggesting that the Africa Corps could return to Kidal if needed. Among them, Yuri Podolyak, who has a large online following, said the withdrawal was a necessary move and could open the door for potential negotiations with Tuareg groups, allowing Malian and allied forces to refocus on Islamist militant threats.
