Tuareg rebels in Mali threaten regime collapse, demand Russian withdrawal - VIDEO
A spokesman for the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) stated on Wednesday that Mali's ruling junta "will fall," following large-scale attacks by Islamist insurgents and Tuareg separatists that have further destabilized the West African nation over the weekend.
"The regime will fall, sooner or later," the Tuareg separatist coalition's Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane told AFP during a visit to Paris, adding that the rebels intend to take control of Gao, Timbuktu and Menaka following the capture of the key northern town of Kidal, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
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Ramadane said the rebel group's "objective is for Russia to withdraw permanently from Azawad and beyond, from all of Mali".
"We have no particular problem with Russia, nor with any other country. Our problem is with the regime that governs Bamako."
The leader of Mali's military government, Assimi Goita, on Tuesday made his first public appearance since the weekend attacks, vowing in a televised address to "neutralise" those responsible.
France on Wednesday urged its citizens to leave the West African country "as soon as possible" due to the "extremely volatile" situation on the ground.
By Ulviyya Salmanli
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