The Russian Foreign Ministry in a statement congratulated Mali on the liberation of the town of Kidal from rebellious Tuareg groups.
Moscow called the victory “an important step toward restoring the state’s territorial integrity and returning a legitimate government to the region.”
“This important victory will undoubtedly contribute to the establishment of lasting peace and stability in the country,” the statement said.
The ministry said that Moscow is closely following the development of events in friendly Mali.
“Moscow is firmly determined to further develop multi-faceted Russian-Mali cooperation for the benefit of our peoples and in the interests of security on the African continent,” the statement read.
Kidal is located in northeastern Mali, near the borders of Algeria and Niger. For more than a decade, the city has been the epicenter of an uprising by Tuareg rebels seeking to establish an independent state.
The army declared the start of a ground operation to retake the last towns in the Kidal region on November 9. In advance of the announcement, the military intensified airstrikes against positions of armed separatist groups.
Kidal is home to a base abandoned by the UN Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) at the end of October. The base has since been taken over by rebels, and the army is fighting to regain control of the camp and the town.
On June 30, at the request of the Malian government, the UN Security Council unanimously issued a resolution to end the peacekeeping mission in the West African country. The withdrawal of MINUSMA troops must be completed by December 31, 2023.
Source: SPUTNIK