Grim casualty figures from recent insurgent attacks on army garrisons across central and northern Mali have exposed the cost of junta leader General Assimi Goïta's decision to reject the 2015 Algiers peace accord and to redirect military efforts towards fighting secular Tuareg separatists of the Front de libération de l'Azawad (FLA) (AC Vol 56 No 13 A peace deal against all odds & Vol 64 No 4 Restive Tuareg ramp up tension)...

Junta crushes political but not armed opponents Violence and fragmentation across central and northern Mali coincide with renewed political tensions in Bamako triggered by General Assimi Goïta's 13 May ban on political parties – supposedly in preparation for a future electoral process strictly on the regime's terms (Dispatches 12/5/25 After extending General Goïta's term until 2030 the junta bans protests)...

In Mali General Assimi Goïta's regime is clashing with Canada's Barrick Gold (AC Vol 66 No 3 Sahel-exit tests western miners and Russia's military muscle)...

Brussels risks being accused of complicity in the juntas' rights abuses and the Sahelian military leaders – General Assimi Goïta Captain Ibrahim Traoré and Gen Abdourahamane Tiani – don't want reports of deals with Brussels to undermine their nationalist anti-west stance...

Faye and Senegal's Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko were also welcomed to Sahelian capitals last year yet they could not convince the Malian Nigérien and Burkinabè leaders Assimi Goïta Abdourahamane Tiani and Ibrahim Traoré to drop their plan to quit Ecowas...

As a result self-promoted General Assimi Goïta's junta has no excuses left for failing to address the major crises on security the economy and electricity cuts (AC Vol 65 No 10 The juntas are running out of excuses)...

The stand-off between General Assimi Goïta's military regime and Canada's Barrick Gold has reached a critical point with the mining conglomerate suspending work at the Loulou-Gounkoto complex after the government used military helicopters to seize more than three tonnes of gold worth around US$245 million on 11 January...

Yet the companies behind the two lithium mines must pay US$75 million in negotiated settlements to Gen Assimi Goïta's government before exporting spodumene concentrate...

In the early hours of 17 September a band of jihadist insurgents with links to Al Qaida launched attacks on the outskirts of the Malian capital Bamako embarrassing both Colonel Assimi Goïta's junta but also the Russian soldiers he had hired to replace French and other European forces...