The Russian paramilitary organization Wagner has withdrawn from Mali, with its forces being replaced by the Moscow-backed Africa Corps, according to diplomatic and security sources cited by AFP on Sunday.
“Officially, Wagner has ceased operations in Mali. However, the Africa Corps is increasing its activities,” one diplomatic source in the Sahel region stated.
A Telegram account linked to Wagner announced, “Mission accomplished. PMC Wagner is returning home.”
Since taking power in coups in 2020 and 2021, Mali’s ruling junta has severed ties with France, its former colonial ruler, and turned to Russia for political and military backing.
Wagner, Russia’s most prominent mercenary group, was disbanded and reorganized following the mysterious plane crash death of its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in August 2023, which came after a brief insurrection against Moscow.
Mali has never officially acknowledged Wagner’s presence, maintaining that it only collaborates with Russian instructors.
France withdrew its 2,400 troops from Mali in 2022 due to deteriorating relations with the junta and rising anti-French sentiment among the populace.
“The Kremlin continues to hold the reins,” the same diplomatic source noted.
“Most of the Wagner personnel in Mali, who originate from Russia, will be absorbed into the Africa Corps and will remain stationed in northern regional capitals and Bamako.”
The Africa Corps is another paramilitary formation affiliated with the Kremlin and is viewed as the successor to Wagner. Like its predecessor, its mercenaries are engaged in support of various African governments.
For more than three years, Mali had depended on Wagner in its campaign against jihadists who have claimed thousands of lives throughout the nation.
“A shift from Wagner to Africa Corps does not change the fact that our main contact remains the same: the central authority in Russia, namely the Kremlin,” a Malian security source noted on Sunday.
The paramilitary group’s harsh tactics in Mali have frequently drawn criticism from human rights organizations.
A UN report charged that Mali’s military and foreign fighters executed at least 500 individuals during a March 2022 anti-jihadist operation in Moura—a claim denied by the junta.
Western governments suspect that these foreign fighters were Wagner operatives.
Last April, remains were found near a Malian military installation, shortly after the army and Wagner paramilitaries detained numerous civilians, predominantly from the Fulani community.
Wagner’s departure comes amidst what the Malian military describes as a “resurgence” of jihadist activity, including two attacks that resulted in the deaths of numerous soldiers and compelled troops to vacate a crucial central base.
A European diplomatic source in the Sahel believes the Africa Corps will likely engage in “far more training of Malian soldiers compared to Wagner.”
“While Wagner asserts that its operations and support bolstered the Malian army, Africa Corps will require ongoing training and assistance, especially following the recent spike in assaults against the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA),” stated Beverly Ochieng, a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
