Dakar, Senegal (AP) – Support for the Wagner Group from Russia was acknowledged by Mali on Friday, signaling the end of over three and a half years of conflict against Islamic extremists and rebels in the region.
Despite the announcement from Wagner, Russian mercenaries remain active in the West African nation. The African Corps, a state-controlled paramilitary unit from Russia, stated on its Telegram channel on Friday that the withdrawal of Wagner will not alter the ongoing situation, emphasizing that Russian conditions will persist in Mali.
“The mission has been accomplished. The Private Military Company Wagner is making its exit,” the organization declared through its Telegram messaging channel. They asserted that they have secured control over the capital of all regions in Mali, effectively expelling armed extremists and eliminating their commander.
For more than a decade, Mali, along with neighboring nations Burkina Faso and Niger, has battled insurgencies involving armed groups, which include alliances with al-Qaeda and Islamic State factions.
As Western involvement in the region diminished, Russia sought to capitalize on this power vacuum, offering military support. Initially, Moscow utilized the Wagner Group of mercenaries to bolster its military partnerships with African countries. However, following the death of the group’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in a plane crash in 2023, President Vladimir Putin has been pivoting to develop the African Corps as an alternative to Wagner.
The African Corps operates under the direct authority of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
US authorities estimate that there are around 2,000 mercenaries in Mali, but the specific number of individuals involved in the African Corps versus Wagner remains unclear.
Beverly Ochien, a security analyst focusing on the Sahel for Control Risks, noted that the Russian Ministry of Defense has been in discussions with Mali to augment the ranks of the African Corps with Wagner personnel, integrating them into Russia’s state-controlled paramilitary forces.
“Since Prigozhin’s demise, Russia has fully integrated the Wagner Group under the Ministry of Defense’s command. One of their strategies has been to modify or introduce the African Corps,” she stated.
Wagner has been active in Mali since late 2021, following the military coup, assisting both French and international peacekeeping forces in combating extremists. However, both the Malian Army and Russian mercenaries have faced accusations of failing to mitigate the violence, with reports of civilian targeting levied against them.
Last month, UN experts called on Malian authorities to investigate allegations of summary executions and forced disappearances by Wagner mercenaries and soldiers.
In December, Human Rights Watch condemned the Malian Army and the Wagner Group for deliberately killing at least 32 civilians over a span of eight months.
The announcement regarding Wagner’s exit follows significant losses suffered by Mali and Russian forces amidst recent assaults by the al-Qaeda-affiliated group JNIM.
In recent weeks, JNIM fighters killed dozens of soldiers during raids on military bases in central Mali.
Rida Lyamuuri, a Sahel specialist at a Morocco-based policy center, remarked that these substantial losses could have precipitated the decision regarding Wagner’s mission.
“The absence of formal announcements from both the Malian authorities and Wagner suggests potential internal conflicts leading to this abrupt choice. Simultaneously, it may indicate a new strategic direction for Russia’s presence domestically,” he noted.
Transitioning from Wagner to African Corps forces is likely to emphasize training alongside Mali’s own military, as Russia intensifies its commitment to Mali, according to Wolf Less, director of the Sahel program at the Conrad Adenauer Foundation.
“The African Corps has a lower profile and prioritizes training, providing equipment, and delivering protective services. They are not engaged in direct combat to the extent that Wagner mercenaries were,” he stated.
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Associated Press writer Monika Pronczuk contributed to this report from Dakar, Senegal.
Source: apnews.com