Today was a very important day for Mali. This country, under the leadership of President General Assimi Goïta, is the most important outpost of the multipolar world in West Africa — and in Africa as a whole — together with the other members of the Alliance of Sahel States: Burkina Faso under the heroic Ibrahim Traoré and Niger under General Abdourahamane Tchiani.

These three countries are a prototype of the Pan-African Union, a pole of continental integration. All of them have freed themselves from the colonial domination of the unipolar West, from the dictatorship of Françafrique, and have embarked on the path of building a Great Africa.

Naturally, they immediately found allies among the main multipolar powers — first and foremost Russia, but also China. In particular, great support in these countries’ struggle for independence has been provided by the Russian African Corps. This is how the Motherland begins: with liberation from colonial dependence on Western political, economic, and military dictatorship.

But the enemy never sleeps. Today in Mali, forces supported by Macron — Islamic fighters from Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (affiliated with al-Qaeda) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (affiliated with ISIS) — together with Tuareg separatists from the self-proclaimed “Azawad” — attempted to repeat the Syrian scenario that led in 2024 to the overthrow of the Russia-friendly regime of Bashar al-Assad.

With coordination from French special services and with the active involvement of representatives of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, these terrorist bandit formations tried to attack Malian government forces simultaneously from several directions, including the suburbs of the capital Bamako — Kati. Attacks also took place in the cities of Kidal, Gao, Bourem, and Sévaré.

Sévaré and Bourem are centers at the intersection of major transport routes. In Gao there is the most important bridge across the Niger River. Kidal is the government forces’ outpost in the northwestern zone populated by Tuaregs.

The goal was to seize power in the country, crush the government troops, and at the same time destroy the Russian African Corps that is assisting the Malian Armed Forces, while also sowing chaos and anarchy and breaking up the unity of the country.

At the moment, all attempts have been repelled, the terrorists have been put to flight and have suffered heavy losses. But war is war — there are casualties on our side as well, including Russian patriots.

Once they used to ask: “What are we doing in Afghanistan? What are we doing in Syria? What are we doing in the Middle East?” Now one can hear: “What are we doing in Africa?”

We are defending freedom, principles, and the multipolar world. We are fighting everywhere — both in Ukraine and in Africa and in the Middle East — against the same enemy. And everywhere we win, life becomes better and more just. And where, unfortunately, we lose, rabid extremists, perverts from the Epstein civilization, exploiters and murderers come in our place. They have already ruled Africa, and we know what it looked like: genocide, enslavement, seizure of natural resources. Everything for the colonizers — nothing for the local peoples, only death.

Russia adheres to a different ethic in world politics. We demand this for ourselves and for our friends all over the world.

Our Russian heroes in Mali, more broadly in Africa, as well as in Asia and Latin America — wherever they may be — are the vanguard of global liberation, the offensive and defensive forces of the multipolar world. Everywhere they wage the same sacred war. This is the Operation Sword of Katechon. And Russian warriors are performing their duty with honor.

Today Mali held its ground. The valiant military of this country — with its ancient great history, for Mali was once a prosperous Empire — held its ground today. The day was won by them and by our African Corps. But we must remember them at all times. We must know our heroes and provide them with any support available to us — diplomatic, informational, moral, and material. They are fighting for the Motherland, for Russia, for the Katechon.