The Africa Corps, heir to the former Russian mercenary group Wagner and current ally of the Malian military junta in its offensive against Tuareg armed formations and jihadist cells, announced this Sunday the death of two important commanders from both factions during intense clashes recorded on Saturday in the center-east of the country.
In the early hours of Saturday, the Tuareg separatist movement Frente para la Liberación del Azawad (FLA) announced the start of a broad offensive in the cities of Gao and Sevaré, as well as in the towns of Aguelhok, Anefif, and Kenioroba, in coordination with the jihadist organization Grupo de Apoyo al Islam y los Musulmanes (JNIM), linked to Al Qaeda. The operation replicates the large-scale attack launched in April by these same forces, which managed to put the Bamako military junta on the ropes for days.
Both the Malian Army and the Africa Corps claimed during the night from Saturday to Sunday that they had managed to repel the assaults, and the Russian mercenaries have begun to disseminate details about casualties among their adversaries.
In the last few hours, according to the version disseminated by the Russian group, the jihadist lieutenant Abdelrraman Zaza, "emir" of Tinessako and "right-hand man" of the JNIM leader, Iyad Ag Ghaly, has died. Zaza would have lost his life in the framework of coordinated attacks against the positions of the Malian Armed Forces in Anefif, a key enclave due to its connection with the city of Kidal, under the control of the Tuaregs and their allies.
In that same town of Anefif, the supposed Chief of Staff and first lieutenant of the FLA, Mbareck Ag Akli, would also have died, considered moreover the main advisor to the organization's leader, Alghabass Ag Intalla, one of those responsible for the assault against Kidal.
Downing of an Africa Corps helicopter
For its part, the FLA reported on Sunday afternoon the downing of an Mi-24 helicopter belonging to Africa Corps mercenaries in the Tlemsi area, on the road linking Gao with Anefif. "The crew has died," explained the FLA spokesperson, Mohamed Elmaulud Ramadán, on social media.
"Tuareg combatants have shot down a Russian Mi-24 helicopter of Africa Corps," highlighted Ramadan, who also disseminated several images and videos, including one in which a helicopter can be seen falling uncontrollably towards the ground on the horizon. The authenticity of these recordings could not be independently verified.
In another subsequent message, the spokesperson issued a direct challenge to his enemies: "To our Russian mercenary friends from Afrika Corps and the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA): come and collect what remains of your equipment. Among the neutralized aircraft and the vehicles destroyed or abandoned on the ground," he published along with new photographs of vehicle wreckage.
The Mil Mi-24 is the main armed and attack helicopter of the Russian Armed Forces. Designed in the Soviet era, it began operating in 1972 with the Soviet Union and, after the 1991 disintegration, has remained in service in Russia and numerous allied countries.
The African Union condemns the new attacks
On the diplomatic front, the President of the African Union Commission, Mahmud Ali Yusuf, has unequivocally condemned Saturday's "terrorist attacks" and conveyed his condolences to the relatives of the victims.
Yusuf "expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and expresses his profound solidarity with all those affected by these attacks and reiterates the full solidarity of the African Union with the Government and the people of the Republic of Mali in these difficult times."
The AU Commission further emphasizes that "these attacks constitute a clear reminder that terrorism and violent extremism continue to pose a serious threat to Mali, the Sahel, and the African continent as a whole," referring to a region marked by instability, where Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have formed an alliance of military juntas that have approached Russia to combat the intense activity of jihadist groups in a context of severe humanitarian difficulties.
For this reason, the African Union emphasizes "the need to intensify collective efforts to promote peace, security, and stability, fully respecting international humanitarian law and with constant attention to the protection of the civilian population."