In the aftermath of negotiations with Russia's ambassador to Mali, a spokesman for Mali's Tuareg armed factions voiced confidence in the country's reconciliation process.

The armed groups have previously warned that the removal of the UN's peacekeeping force in the nation, Minusma, would give a "fatal blow" to the peace effort in northern Mali.

Ex-rebels have already expressed concerns about the future of the 2015 peace accord, which officially ended the separatist insurrection in northern Mali.

“We met today with the ambassador of the Russian Federation to Mali, His Excellency Igor Gromyko. The discussions on a number of topical issues and concerns were very productive and reassuring," Attaye Ag Mohammed said on Twitter.

The Wagner group's recent mutiny in Russia, which has deployed thousands of mercenaries to Mali since 2022, has raised concerns about the Malian army's ability to deal with militant violence on its own as the UN withdraws.

The situation of Wagner fighters in the country is still unknown.