The Russian paramilitary group Wagner has left Mali and its units there have been taken over by the Moscow-run Africa Corps, diplomatic and security sources told journalists on Sunday.
The Russian paramilitary group Wagner is leaving Mali with its mercenaries after three and a half years of presence and is handing over to Africa Corps, another paramilitary group more firmly under the control of the Kremlin.
"Officially, Wagner is no longer present in Mali. But the Africa Corps is stepping up," one diplomatic source in the Sahel region cited in French news agency AFP, said.
A Telegram account affiliated with Wagner said: "Mission accomplished. PMC Wagner is going home."
In Bamako, none of the sources in official circles contacted by RFI confirmed or denied the departure of the Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group from the country however, as the Malian junta has always denied the presence of these mercenaries on its territory, preferring the term "Russian instructors."
Mali, along with neighbours Burkina Faso and Niger, has for more than a decade been battling an insurgency fought by armed groups, including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.
But since military juntas seized power in coups in 2020 then in 2021, Mali broke off ties with former colonial power France and pivoted towards Russia for political and military support.
France withdrew its 2,400 troops from Mali in 2022 after ties with the junta soured and anti-French sentiment surged among the public.
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The Kremlin 'in control'
Wagner is Russia's best-known mercenary group, and was disbanded and restructured after its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a mysterious plane crash in August 2023 following a short-lived rebellion against Moscow.
Kremlin silent on reported death of Wagner boss Prigozhin in plane crash
Mali has never officially admitted Wagner's presence, insisting it only worked with Russian instructors.
"The Kremlin remains in control," the same diplomatic source added.
"Most of the Wagner personnel in Mali, who are originally from Russia, will be reintegrated into Africa Corps and remain in northern regional capitals and Bamako."
The Africa Corps is another paramilitary group with links to the Kremlin and seen as the successor to the Wagner group. Like Wagner, its mercenaries are actively supporting several African governments.
For over three years, Mali had been reported to rely on Wagner in its fight against jihadists who have killed thousands across the country.
"Wagner yesterday or Africa Corps today, our point of contact remains the same, it is the central power in Russia, that is to say the Kremlin," a Malian security source said Sunday.
"Although Wagner claims that its operations and support strengthened the Malian army, Africa Corps will need to continue training and support, especially after the recent wave of attacks against the FAMA (Malian Armed Forces)," said Beverly Ochieng, an analyst at the Washington think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Brutality and killings
The paramilitary group's brutal methods on the ground in Mali have been regularly denounced by human rights groups.
A UN report accused Mali's army and foreign fighters of executing at least 500 people during a March 2022 anti-jihadist sweep in Moura, a claim denied by the junta. Western governments believe the foreign fighters were Wagner mercenaries.
Wagner mercenaries and Mali army accused of killing civilians near Gao
Last April, bodies were discovered near a Malian military camp, days after the army and Wagner paramilitaries arrested dozens of civilians, most from the Fulani community.
In December, Human Rights Watch also accused Malian armed forces and the Wagner Group of deliberately killing at least 32 civilians over an 8-month span.
Wagner's withdrawal comes amid what the Malian army calls a "resurgence" of jihadist attacks, including two assaults that killed dozens of soldiers and forced troops to abandon a key central base.
(with newswires)
