Wagner Group Out, African Corps Steps In: The Continuing Russian Presence in Mali
Mercenaries from Wagner Group withdraw from Mali, taking their place is the Russian African Corps. - Russian military unit, Afrika Korps, takes over from Wagner in Mali
Here's a bite of tea on a hot topic - the Wagner Group, a notorious paramilitary outfit with ties to the Kremlin, has bid adieu to Mali after a three-year stint. The group had been supporting the Malian military against jihadist insurgents, but it seems the puppeteer remains the same. The Kremlin continues to pull the strings, this time through the African Corps.
A chirpy message on a Telegram channel associated with the Wagner Group proclaimed, "A job well done. PMC Wagner is going home." Diplomats echoed this sentiment, adding that most of the Russian personnel from the Wagner Group will be assimilated into the African Corps in the provincial capitals, northern cities, and Bamako.
Since two power grabs in 2020 and 2021, a military junta led by General Assimi Goita governs Mali. This duo, formerly allies with France, has been cozying up to Russia. The military junta has been relying on the support of either the Wagner Group or its successor, the African Corps, in its war on jihadist groups.
The Wagner Group offers a smorgasbord of services to governments. In Mali, they've been conducting operations, providing security for the elite, offering military training, and even dispensing legal advice to help rewrite mining guidelines or tweak the constitution.
France, with around 2,400 troops stationed in Mali, decided to beat it in 2022. Tensions between the junta and Paris, along with a surge in anti-French sentiments within the Malian populace, sealed the deal. As for the German military, involved in the UN mission MINUSMA, they pulled out their last soldiers by the end of 2023 from the Sahel state.
A security source commented, "Whether it's Wagner yesterday or the African Corps today, our interlocutor remains the same — the central power in Russia, that is, the Kremlin." Military officials in Mali confirmed that their Russian military cooperation would continue regardless of the Wagner Group's presence. "Russia remains our strategic partner in military cooperation."
After the demise of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner Group, in August 2023, the group was dismantled and reconstructed. His death, shrouded in mystery, followed a rebellion by his own troops against the Russian military brass. The African Corps now oversees most of Wagner's operations.
Human rights organizations have long criticized the violent tactics of the paramilitary group in Mali. The UN accuses the Malian army and "foreign fighters" of killing hundreds of people in a 2022 operation against jihadists. The Malian junta denies these accusations, though Western nations believe the fighters in question were Wagner mercenaries.
The African Corps is another paramilitary outfit with links to the Kremlin, much like the Wagner Group. These mercenaries have been aiding various African governments. Russia has also signed defense deals with Niger and Burkina Faso. They supply military equipment to the Sahel states and support the military governments' fight against jihadist groups in the region.
[1] The African Corps is a continuation of the Wagner Group's objectives in Mali, although some question whether mere replacement of Wagner with the African Corps will alleviate the challenges facing Russo-Malian security cooperation. The past partnerships with France illustrate that a purely military approach to counterinsurgency is unlikely to bring lasting peace without a broader political strategy from Bamako.
[2] The transition to the African Corps signifies Moscow's attempt to exert tighter control over its paramilitary engagements in Mali amidst ongoing conflicts and geopolitical complexities.
- The African Corps, similar to the disbanded Wagner Group, continues to receive support from Russia in their operations within Mali, as the Kremlin seeks tighter control over its paramilitary engagements amidst ongoing conflicts and geopolitical complexities in the region.
- Despite the departure of the Wagner Group from Mali, the military junta, relying heavily on foreign support, continues to cooperate with Russia, with the African Corps set to replace Wagner as the primary force providing security and military training in Mali.
