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Wagner Group Withdraws from Mali After Years of Combat, Russia’s Africa Corps Set to Take Over

  • Writer: Victor Nwoko
    Victor Nwoko
  • Jun 7
  • 3 min read
Mali Wagner
Mali Wagner

The Russia-backed Wagner Group announced on Friday that it is withdrawing from Mali after over three and a half years of operating in the West African nation against Islamic extremists and insurgents. The announcement was made through the group’s Telegram channel, stating, “Mission accomplished. Private Military Company Wagner returns home,” and claiming it had secured regional capitals, driven out militants, and eliminated their commanders.


Despite Wagner's exit, Russia's paramilitary presence in Mali is far from over. The Africa Corps, a state-controlled paramilitary unit under the Russian Ministry of Defense, said the transition would not disrupt Russia’s operations in the region. “There will be no changes,” the Corps announced via Telegram, reaffirming the continued presence of Russian forces in Mali.


Wagner entered Mali in late 2021, filling a void left by French troops and international peacekeepers following a military coup. Since then, the group has partnered with the Malian army to fight a growing insurgency led by armed groups aligned with al-Qaida and the Islamic State. However, both Wagner and Malian forces have been accused of serious human rights violations, including the targeting of civilians.

Leader of Mali’s ruling junta Lt. Col. Assimi Goita, center, attends an independence day military parade in Bamako, Mali on Sept. 22, 2022
Leader of Mali’s ruling junta Lt. Col. Assimi Goita, center, attends an independence day military parade in Bamako, Mali on Sept. 22, 2022

Last month, United Nations experts urged Malian authorities to investigate reports of summary executions and forced disappearances allegedly committed by Wagner and the army. In December, Human Rights Watch reported that at least 32 civilians were deliberately killed over an eight-month period by Malian armed forces and Wagner operatives.


Wagner's withdrawal comes amid mounting losses suffered by the Malian army and Russian mercenaries. In recent weeks, the al-Qaida-linked group Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) launched a series of deadly attacks, including one last week that killed dozens of soldiers at a military base in central Mali.


Analysts suggest the losses, coupled with internal tensions, may have hastened Wagner’s departure. Rida Lyammouri, a Sahel expert at the Policy Center for the New South, said the lack of a joint announcement from both the Malian government and Wagner signals a possible internal dispute. “Simultaneously, this could point to a new framework for Russian presence in the country,” Lyammouri said.


Since the death of Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in a 2023 plane crash—following his failed rebellion against the Kremlin—Russia has been restructuring its overseas military operations. The Africa Corps, now stepping into Wagner’s role in Mali, is viewed as Moscow’s official channel for maintaining influence on the continent.

Yevgeny Prigozhin
Yevgeny Prigozhin

According to U.S. officials, about 2,000 Russian mercenaries are currently in Mali, though the exact breakdown between Wagner and Africa Corps operatives remains unclear. Beverly Ochieng, a Sahel security analyst at Control Risks, noted that Russia has long planned to absorb Wagner into its defense ministry and replace its operations with Africa Corps. “The Africa Corps is the model for sustaining Russia’s military presence in former Wagner territories,” she explained.


Ulf Laessing, director of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, noted that Africa Corps typically operates with a lighter footprint. “They focus more on training, logistics, equipment supply, and protection services,” he said. “They’re not as combat-heavy as the ‘Rambo-type’ Wagner mercenaries.”


The situation in Mali remains volatile as both regional and international actors recalibrate their strategies in response to rising extremist violence and shifting power dynamics.

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