Despite their bravery, the FAMA have suffered heavy losses in lives and equipment, in the face of reinforcements for armed terrorist groups. In addition to the intelligence support provided by Ukraine.
Speaking on the platform “Unified News” (Ukrainian telethon “Yodine novini”), which was launched on February 24, 2022 to inform the Ukrainian population about the situation in the country after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Andrey Yusov, official representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, provided important details about a decisive battle that took place on July 25-27, 2024 in northern Mali.
According to Yusov, the Russian paramilitary group Wagner suffered a major defeat near the town of Tinzawaten in the Kidal region of northern Mali.
During the confrontation, dozens of Wagner fighters, including several
leaders were reportedly killed.
Yusov stressed that this defeat could mark a turning point in Wagner’s influence in Africa, where its activities have intensified to resolve geopolitical and economic issues by supporting or overthrowing certain governments.
“Russia no longer has the same potential or the same capabilities. This means that there will be fewer new orders and less use of Wagner as a tool to solve problems in the region,” Yusov said.
“The fact that the rebels received the necessary information, and not just information, which allowed them to carry out a successful operation against Russian war criminals, is a fact that the whole world has observed,” he stressed, highlighting the alleged support Ukrainian intelligence provided to the CSP rebels.
An intriguing development revealed in the interview was the latter’s offer to hand over captured mercenaries to Ukraine. This offer, reported by a rebel representative on social media,was confirmed by Yusov.
Asked about the feasibility of the operation, he stressed the importance of discretion and respect for international law. “This is sensitive information, so everything Ukraine is doing is in accordance with international law and all the necessary procedures. This information has been monitored and verified,” he added.
In parallel to this interview, on July 29, the General Staff of the Malian Armed Forces issued a communiqué on recent military operations in the Kidal region.
According to the communiqué, the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) launched a major stabilization operation in the Inafarak and Tinzaouatène sectors on 19 July.
“The FAMA has taken control of the Inafarak locality, located 122 kilometers northeast of Tessalit. On July 22, 2024, after Inafarak, the course was set for Tinzaouatène, 233 kilometers northeast of Kidal, on the Algerian border, where the GATT cracked down on the civilian population with rockets, robberies, and the blocking of logistical convoys,” according to a press statement.:
On July 25, FAMA repelled the first terrorist attack, inflicting heavy human and material losses on the enemy. On July 26, the fighting intensified as reinforcements from armed terrorist groups, including EIGS and GSIM, encircled the FAMA unit.
Despite their bravery, FAMA suffered significant losses in terms of lives and equipment.
However, the General Staff made no mention of the presence of the Wagner group, despite the statements of some international observers and Wagner’s frequent comments on his activities in Mali via his Telegram account.
MD/sf/ac/lb/GIK/APA