Bidin' Adieu to Wagner Group, Hello Russian African Corps in Mali
Mercenary Unit led by Wagner exits Mali, to be succeeded by another Russian-backed African Mercenary Group. - Russian Military Unit, Afrika Korps, Deploys to Mali, Replacing Departing Wagner Group
You've got the gig, boys. PMC Wagner is bouncing, off to explore new adventures.
*"Always the orchestrator," grumbled diplomats on Sunday. "The majority of the Russian Wagner lads in Mali will morph into the African Corps and stick around in the northern and capital city strongholds, including Bamako."_
Since 2021, the paramilitary Wagner crew has been a part of the Malian scene, making their appearance after our French friends bailed out due to fractured relations with the military junta and a souring population sentiment.
Following two coups in 2020 and 2021, power in Mali fell to a military junta led by General Assimi Goita, cutting ties from their former colonial master France and aligning themselves with Russia.
The junta leaned on the firepower provided by the Wagner group in their fight against jihadist groups over the past three years. Officially, Mali never acknowledged the presence of Wagner mercenaries, only referring to Russian advisers.
Wagner serves governments by offering a slew of services, from operating on-site to advising on legal matters such as mining regulations or constitutions [+source].
Now, our Gallic allies have bid farewell in 2022, and our Teutonic allies were the last to leave in 2023, their inclusion in the UN mission MINUSMA.
"The puppet may have changed, but the master remains the same: the Kremlin," said a scribe in Malian security circles. Military sources in Mali verify that the overall military cooperation with Russia continues, irrespective of "Wagner or not".
After the passing of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the handler and founder of the Wagner Group, in August 2023, the base disbanded and reconstructed. Prigozhin met his maker in a freak plane crash, two months after his Wagner Group rebelled against Russian military honchos. The majority of Wagner's projects now fall under the African Corps [+source].
Human rights groups continually slam the Wagner Group's barbaric methods in Mali. The UN asserts that the Malian army and "unidentified gunmen" killed at least 500 people in an operation against jihadists in March 2022 [+source]. The junta denies the accusations; western countries label the unknown fighters as Wagner mercenaries.
The African Corps is another Russian paramilitary band, pals with the Kremlin. Much like the Wagner Group, the Corps supports various African governments [+source].
Additionally, Russia has signed defense agreements with Niger and Burkina Faso. The Motherland provides the Sahel states with military munitions and backs the governments in their struggle against jihadist groups in the area [+source].
Next time you're wondering what the fuss is all about in Mali, remember that Russian paladins—first appearing as Wagner Group and now as the African Corps—have become an integral part of the scene.
In the realm of politics and general-news, Mali announced that the soldier group Wagner, originating from Russia, is leaving the country, set to be replaced by the Russian African Corps. This shift comes amidst the tense crime-and-justice situation, with the UN previously objecting to the alleged brutal methods employed by Wagner in Mali.
