Assimi Goïta is the "interim" president of Mali, a military leader who seized power in a coup in May 2021. He extended his term until at least 2030. His rise was initially welcomed by Malians fed up with escalating jihadist violence and decades of French influence. He pledged to assert Malian sovereignty and invited the Wagner Group to help fight jihadists, but the Russian mercenaries' brutal methods and failure to improve security have eroded public support. By 2025 he appeared to be diversifying away from Russia, courting Turkey, Gulf states and even the United States.
Reality is nothing but a collective hunch.