Putin, Malian President Reaffirm Intention To Cooperate On Eradicating Terrorists

Russian President Vladimir Putin and interim Malian President Assimi Goita reaffirmed their intention to strengthen security cooperation to eradicate terrorist groups in Africa's Sahel region, including Mali, during a telephone conversation on Tuesday, the Kremlin said

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th October, 2022) Russian President Vladimir Putin and interim Malian President Assimi Goita reaffirmed their intention to strengthen security cooperation to eradicate terrorist groups in Africa's Sahel region, including Mali, during a telephone conversation on Tuesday, the Kremlin said.

"The parties confirmed mutual commitment to further strengthen Russian-Malian security cooperation to eradicate terrorist groups across Mali," a statement read.

Mali is one of the West African countries most affected by continuous terrorist attacks. The situation was significantly destabilized in 2012 when Tuareg militants seized vast territories in the northern part of the country.

The hostilities created a favorable environment for the flourishing of terrorism. The crisis escalated even more due to activities of Islamists and forces loyal to former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi that came to Mali after the First Libyan Civil War.

Despite the presence of counterterrorism forces, terrorist attacks have sharply increased across the country in recent years. Moreover, in 2022, France announced the official completion of its counterterrorism missions amid disagreements with the African nation's transitional government, which came to power after a military takeover in 2021. As a result, the Malian authorities turned to other countries for assistance in their fight against terrorism.