The head of Mali’s ruling junta met on Saturday with Sudan’s de facto leader, both facing military challenges in their respective countries.
Mali’s General Assimi Goïta welcomed Sudan’s Abdel Fattah al-Burhan upon his arrival for a 48-hour visit, according to the Malian presidency’s statement on social media.
Goïta, initially a colonel, seized power in a 2020 coup that ousted elected president Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.
Burhan, in 2021, removed civilian leaders from the government formed after the 2019 overthrow of dictator Omar al-Bashir. However, in 2023, his deputy, General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo—known as Hemedti—rebelled against him. Since then, Sudan has been engulfed in conflict between Burhan’s army and Hemedti’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The Malian presidency announced the two leaders would participate in “numerous activities” during the visit but provided no further details.
Since Mali’s coup, its leadership has distanced itself from former colonial power France, instead aligning with Russia and the Wagner paramilitary group. Sudan has similarly strengthened ties with Russia, though Moscow is reassessing its support for the RSF as it risks losing strategic military bases in Syria.
Separately, Guinea-Bissau has confirmed Burhan’s visit on Sunday and Monday.