Russia previously accused France of stoking instability in its former colony in revenge for Bamako’s push for closer ties with Moscow Western countries may have played a role in one of Mali’s largest-ever coordinated terrorist assaults, which struck Bamako’s international airport, the garrison town of Kati, and three other cities across the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said. In a Telegram post on Saturday, the ministry said roughly 250 fighters had targeted Modibo Keita International Airport and an adjacent military base in Bamako. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by regional Al-Qaeda affiliate JNIM and the Tuareg-dominated separatist rebel group Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). The raid was ultimately repelled by Malian forces. Local authorities did not give an official death toll of the attack – which also reportedly targeted senior leadership – but said 16 people were wounded.…