Mali Junta Chief Hosts De Facto Leader Of Sudan
Mali’s General Assimi Goita greeted Sudan’s Abdel Fattah al-Burhan as he stepped off a plane for a 48-hour visit, the Malian presidency said on social media.
The head of Mali’s ruling junta met Saturday with the de facto leader of Sudan, with both putschists in the grip of military struggles at home.
Mali’s General Assimi Goita greeted Sudan’s Abdel Fattah al-Burhan as he stepped off a plane for a 48-hour visit, the Malian presidency said on social media.
Goita, then a colonel, took power along with other officers in a 2020 coup that toppled elected president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
Burhan in 2021 forced out the civilians that had been in the government he had led since the 2019 ousting of dictator Omar al-Bashir.
But in 2023 his right-hand man, general Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, generally referred to as Hemedti, turned against him and since then Sudan has been ravaged by fighting between Burhan’s regular army and Daglo’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The Malian presidency said the two leaders would engage in “numerous activities” during the visit, without providing further details.
Since the coup, Mali’s new leaders have broken with the country’s historic ally and former colonial ruler France, instead turning to Russia and the Wagner paramilitary group.
Sudan has also moved closer to Russia, as Moscow reconsiders its previously close ties with the RSF.
Russia risks losing its naval and air bases in Syria, which have provided key logistical support for its operations in Africa.
Separately, Guinea-Bissau announced that Burhan will visit Sunday and Monday.
AFP
