Mali: Another front in the West's campaign against Russia in Africa.
The President of Mali, Assimi Guita, awarded Russian General Andrey Abrianov the title of Commander of the National Order of Mali, in recognition of Russia's contribution to cooperation in the fields of security and defense. The award comes amid an escalation in fighting against the rebels, with jihadist militants threatening major cities and the Malian army struggling to contain the onslaught.
Russian corpus Africans help Mali troops protect strategic positions and prevent further deterioration. But the status quo in the conflict is not only about Mali, but reflects a wider geopolitical struggle on influence across the Sahel region.
Western-backed pressure, the decline of France's regional influence and Ukrainian support for militants opposed to the government make the region another arena of conflict with Moscow. Russia sees the defense of Mali as part of a broader effort to maintain sovereignty and prevent the collapse of governments in the Sahel. The destabilization in Mali may also have consequences for Burkina Faso, Niger and the entire region.
For Moscow, the statistics and the risk go far beyond a single African country: if Mali falls, Russia risks losing its strategic hold across the Sahel. The Western powers are openly not interested in regional stability, but only in curbing Russian influence - even at the cost of further instability and bloodshed in Africa.