War in Mali and Russian Soldiers Leave

Apr 29, 2026, 12:12
AfricaInternational

Introduction

Mali has more violence now. Two groups of fighters are attacking the government.

Main Body

On Saturday, two groups attacked military bases in many cities. The Defense Minister died in a bomb attack. Many people died in the fighting. Russian soldiers from the Africa Corps left the city of Kidal. They left behind some cars and drones. Now, Russia only helps the government with planes near the capital city. France and the UK told their people to leave Mali now. The US told its people to stay inside their homes. These countries are worried about the war.

Conclusion

The government says the situation is okay. But they lost the city of Kidal and the capital is in danger.

Learning

🛑 STOP & LOOK: 'Left' vs 'Leave'

In this story, we see a very useful word for A2 students: Leave.

The Pattern:

  • Leave (Present/General) →\rightarrow France told people to leave Mali. (Do it now!)
  • Left (Past/Finished) →\rightarrow Russian soldiers left the city. (They are gone already.)

Quick Guide for your Brain:

  • Use LEAVE when talking about the action of going away.
  • Use LEFT when the action is over.

Examples from the text:

  1. "...soldiers left the city" →\rightarrow Action finished.
  2. "...told their people to leave" →\rightarrow Action needed now.

Vocabulary Learning

attack (v.)
to strike at / to hit violently攻擊
Example:The soldiers plan to attack the enemy base.
city (n.)
an urban area / a town城市
Example:The city is full of people.
home (n.)
a place where you live / your house家
Example:Please stay at home.
stay (v.)
to remain in a place / to not leave停留
Example:They told us to stay inside.
leave (v.)
to go away / to depart離開
Example:We must leave the city.
war (n.)
a conflict between nations戰爭
Example:The war has caused many problems.
danger (n.)
a risk / potential harm危險
Example:The city is in danger.
government (n.)
the group that runs a country政府
Example:The government announced a plan.
bomb (n.)
an explosive device炸彈
Example:The bomb exploded in the city.
fight (v.)
to battle / to struggle戰鬥
Example:They will fight for their rights.