Goïta Breaks Three-Day Silence — Meets Russian Ambassador, Visits Hospital, Declares 'Situation Under Control' in National Address

On April 28, 2026, Mali's junta leader Colonel Assimi Goïta made his first public appearances since the April 25 nationwide JNIM-FLA offensive — ending a three-day silence that had fueled speculation about junta stability. Goïta's office first published photos of him meeting Russian Ambassador Igor Gromyko — a deliberate signal of continued Russian backing and survival. He then visited a hospital treating those wounded in the April 25 attacks and expressed condolences to the family of killed Defence Minister Sadio Camara. In his first national televised address, Goïta declared: 'As I am speaking to you, security arrangements have been reinforced. The situation is under control.' He vowed to 'neutralise' the groups involved and pledged operations would continue until 'complete neutralisation.' He accused unspecified foreign powers of providing 'intelligence and logistical support' to the attackers, framing the offensive as an externally orchestrated destabilization campaign — an information-war narrative aligned with Russia's framing of events as a 'prevented coup attempt.' Russia's Ministry of Defence separately claimed 305+ militants killed in airstrikes; Africa Corps' cumulative claimed death toll rose to 1,000+ insurgents killed and 100+ vehicles destroyed across all operations — figures independent analysts characterized as significantly inflated given the scale of territorial losses sustained simultaneously. The Kremlin's framing of the events as a 'Western-backed failed coup' served domestic Russian audiences while also providing Mali's junta a face-saving narrative. France 24 and Africanews both noted that the speech did not address the fall of Kidal, the seizure of Ménaka, the death of the defence minister, or JNIM's announced siege of Bamako.