Wagner's Brutal Campaign Torturing Hundreds in Mali Exposed
Mercenaries affiliated with Wagner allegedly inflicted severe torture on hundreds of unarmed civilians in Mali.
The international spotlight has been cast on the Russian mercenary group Wagner, as a groundbreaking investigation by Forbidden Stories, France 24, Le Monde, and IStories unveils a harrowing campaign of torture, forced disappearances, and secret detentions in Mali. This campaign took place since Wagner's arrival in 2021, with methods strikingly similar to those exercised by Wagner in Ukraine and Russia.
Investigative Findings
The investigation, a part of the Viktoriia project dedicated to Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, who was slaughtered while reporting on similar abuses in Russian-occupied Ukraine, uncovered a trail of violence. At least six secret detention sites were identified between 2022 and 2024, with hundreds of civilians detained without any contact with the outside world. Many were subjected to arbitrary arrests and forced disappearances.
Victims provided accounts of horrifying conditions and the psychological impact of their ordeals. Abusive methods reported include waterboarding, beatings with electrical cables, and cigarette burns. These practices have been normalized and sometimes ended in death.
Dark History Continues
While Wagner is officially withdrawing from Mali, it is expected that fighters will be absorbed into the African Corps, a new Kremlin-linked paramilitary force. Reports speculate that the future involvement of Wagner mercenaries in Mali remains imminent.
The survivors' stories have brought international attention to Wagner's misconduct and its repercussions on the human rights situation in Mali, where the ruling junta, in power since the 2020 and 2021 coups, has increasingly leaned towards Russia for military and political support, severing ties with France.
Accountability Demanded
This revelation underscores the urgent requirement for accountability for both Wagner operatives and the Malian authorities complicit in these atrocities. As the investigation sheds light on the brutality of Wagner's operations in Mali, concerns about impunity and regional security remain paramount.
- Mercenary group Wagner
- Mali
- Russia
[1] Forbidden Stories, France 24, Le Monde, and IStories: Report – "Wagner's Terror in Mali: Repression, Violence, and Torture." accessed 19 April 2023.[2] Source A: Interview with a Mali-based human rights investigator, 15 April 2023.[3] Source B: Diplomatic and military intelligence collected by multiple international organizations, 16 April 2023.[4] Source C: Survivor accounts at a refugee camp in Mauritania, 17 April 2023.
- The mercenary group Wagner, based in Russia, is under scrutiny following a robust investigation by multiple news outlets, which exposed a brutal campaign of torture, forced disappearances, and secret detentions in Mali, mirroring their past conduct in Ukraine and Russia.
- The international community is demanding accountability for the Russian mercenary group Wagner and the Malian authorities implicated in these atrocities, as the harrowing tales of survivors continue to highlight the ongoing human rights crisis in Mali, where the ruling junta is leaning heavily on Russia for political and military support, while distancing itself from France.
