Wagner Group Concludes Support Operations in Mali Amid Controversy

The Russian private military company Wagner announced on Friday that it has wrapped up its role in assisting Mali’s military junta in their efforts against Islamist militants.

“PMC Wagner has fulfilled its primary mission in Mali,” the organization stated in a message shared on its official Telegram channel. “PMC Wagner is heading back home.”

Mali, which is landlocked in the Sahel region, has been facing jihadist and separatist movements since 2012. A military junta took control in 2020 and sought political and military assistance from Russia after severing ties with France and other Western nations.

In a video statement, Wagner criticized Western forces for “systematically looting” Mali’s natural resources, asserting that Russian fighters had come equipped with “the finest weaponry and the most sophisticated military technology.” The group itself has been accused of exploiting Mali’s gold reserves in exchange for its military support.

“We aided local patriots in building a robust and disciplined army that can protect their territory. All regional capitals have reverted to the authority of the legitimate government,” the statement read.

“We have eliminated thousands of militants and their leaders who have been inflicting terror on civilians for years,” they claimed.

Wagner did not acknowledge any of its casualties, including a significant loss in July 2023 when Tuareg rebels ambushed a convoy in northern Mali. Attacks continue to be reported across vast areas of the country.

Human rights organizations and analysts frequently accuse both Wagner and the Malian army of engaging in abuses against civilians. As of March, it was estimated that around 1,500 Russian Wagner fighters were active in Mali, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Wagner has also been involved in the war in Ukraine, alongside conflicts across the Middle East and in various other African nations.

Following the death of the group’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in a plane crash after his failed insurrection against the Kremlin two years ago, Russia’s Defense Ministry took over Wagner’s international operations.

Reporting by Reuters contributed to this story.