Shuffle in Security Forces: Wagner Out, African Corps Steps In, Still Tied to Russia in Mali
Wagner soldiers formally withdraw from Mali, maintaining covert presence.
The infamous mercenary group, Wagner, is kicking off its boots in Mali, according to word on the street from global diplomatic and security circles. But don't be deceived, as the Russian successor organization, the African Corps, is picking up the mantle under the Russian Defense Ministry's wing. "Wagner is officially out in Mali, but the African Corps is taking charge," a source from the Sahel region reveals.
"Mission accomplished. Goodbye PMC Wagner," a Telegram channel whispers close to the Wagner camp. But remember, "the Kremlin stays the manipulator," another diplomatic source warns. "Most Russian Wagner veterans in Mali will transfer to the African Corps and hang around in the provincial capitals in the north and Bamako."
Wagner has been a fixture in Mali since 2021, riding shotgun for the military junta that seized power following two coups in 2020 and 2021. The junta, led by General Assimi Goita, has been severing ties with France – the former colonial master – and aligning themselves with Russia's military might.
Political Spats and Battles
The Wagner group has been a vital support system for the junta's constant struggles against jihadist groups for three years and running. The Malian government has shied away from officially acknowledging Wagner's presence, only to reference "Russian advisors."
French soldiers, who had a troop strength of 2,400 before withdrawing in 2022, pulled out due to deteriorating relations with the junta and mounting disdain towards France among the populace. The German military, engaged in the UN mission, MINUSMA, exited Mali at the end of 2023.
Russia's Global Play
"Whether it's Wagner yesterday or the African Corps today, our negotiation partner remains the same, the central power in Russia, the Kremlin," a security source in Malian circles declares. The Malian military, in a public statement, affirms that military cooperation with Russia will endure, "regardless of whether it's Wagner or not."
The African Corps, a new Russian paramilitary group, has been spearheading Wagner's operations. Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner's leader, died in a mysterious plane crash two months after a mutiny against Russian military leadership in August 2023. Most Wagner operations are now under the control of the African Corps.
The bloodshed tactics of the paramilitary group in Mali have frequently raised eyebrows – and red flags – from human rights organizations. The UN has accused the Malian army and "foreign fighters" of slaughtering at least 500 people in an operation against jihadists in March 2022. The junta in Mali denies these allegations, though Western countries think those fighters were Wagner mercenaries.
The African Corps is just one of many Russian paramilitary groups with ties to the Kremlin, supporting various African governments in their quest for power. Russia has also signed defense pacts with Niger and Burkina Faso and supplies military equipment to the Sahel states, as well as aiding military governments in their regional operations against jihadist threats.
Sources: ntv.de, als/AFP
- Africa Corps
- Mali
- Military Junta
- War Crimes
- Russia
- Yevgeny Prigozhin
- The African Corps, a new Russian paramilitary group, has taken over Wagner's operations in Mali, following Wagner's departure, which puts the focus of East Central countries' employment policy on the negotiation and monitoring of Russia's involvement in African conflicts and human rights abuses.
- Despite the shift from Wagner to the African Corps in Mali, politics, general news, crime, and justice circles remain diligent in tracking Russia's global play, war-and-conflicts engagements, and the implications of their paramilitary groups like the African Corps on employment policy and human rights.
