Abuja —
When Russian forces withdrew last month from the strategic stronghold of Kidal in northern Mali — retreating under the jeers of the very rebels they were sent to crush — they surrendered more than just territory.
Observers characterize the withdrawal of the Kremlin-backed Africa Corps as a humiliating blow to Moscow’s prestige as a leading security partner in Africa’s Sahel region, widely considered the world’s deadliest terror hotspot.
Since militants linked to al Qaeda and the northern separatist Tuareg rebels launched simultaneous attacks on April 25 — the most audacious in over a decade — Mali has plunged deeper into chaos. Their rare alliance enabled a rapid…