Africa Corps Takes Over from Wagner in Mali, Sources Reveal

The Russian paramilitary organization Wagner has withdrawn from Mali, with its operations in the country being taken over by the Moscow-controlled Africa Corps, according to diplomatic and security sources cited by AFP on Sunday.

“Formally, Wagner is no longer in Mali. However, the Africa Corps is increasing its presence,” a diplomatic official in the Sahel region stated.

A Telegram channel associated with Wagner announced: “Mission accomplished. PMC Wagner is returning home.”

Mali’s ruling junta, which came to power through coups in 2020 and 2021, severed connections with its former colonial power, France, and has shifted its focus toward Russia for political and military assistance.

Wagner, Russia’s most recognized mercenary group, was disbanded and reorganized after its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, perished in a mysterious plane crash in August 2023, following a brief insurrection against Moscow.

Officially, Mali has never acknowledged the presence of Wagner, maintaining that it has only engaged with Russian military instructors.

France pulled its 2,400 troops from Mali in 2022 as relations with the junta deteriorated, and public backlash against France intensified.

“The Kremlin continues to hold the reins,” the same diplomatic source added.

“Many of the Wagner personnel in Mali, who are mainly Russian, will be assimilated into the Africa Corps and will remain based in northern regional capitals and Bamako.”

The Africa Corps is another paramilitary entity with ties to the Kremlin, regarded as the successor to Wagner. Like its predecessor, it provides support to various African governments.

For over three years, Mali relied on Wagner to combat jihadist forces that have claimed thousands of lives throughout the country.

“Wagner yesterday, Africa Corps today; our connection remains unchanged, and it is centrally managed by the Kremlin in Russia,” a Malian security official remarked on Sunday.

The brutal tactics employed by the paramilitary group in Mali have faced ongoing condemnation from human rights organizations.

A UN report accused Mali’s military and foreign fighters of executing at least 500 individuals during an anti-jihadist operation in Moura in March 2022—a claim that has been refuted by the junta.

Western governments suspect that the foreign fighters involved were Wagner mercenaries.

In April of last year, bodies were discovered near a Malian military location shortly after the army and Wagner personnel detained numerous civilians, primarily from the Fulani community.

Wagner’s exit happens amid what the Malian military refers to as a “resurgence” of jihadist activities, including two attacks that resulted in the deaths of numerous soldiers and compelled troops to evacuate a critical base in the center of the country.

A European diplomatic official in the Sahel anticipates that the Africa Corps will likely carry out “significantly more training of Malian forces than Wagner did.”

“While Wagner asserts that its operations and support bolstered the Malian military, the Africa Corps will need to persist in providing training and aid, especially in light of the recent surge in assaults on the FAMA [Malian Armed Forces],” noted Beverly Ochieng, an analyst with the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.