Wagner PMC declares retraction from African nation
(MENAFN) The Russian private military company Wagner Group announced on Thursday that it has finished its mission in Mali and is withdrawing its fighters from the country.
Wagner forces have been present in Mali since 2021, when the transitional government turned to them for help following a coup and growing attacks by Tuareg rebels and groups tied to al-Qaeda. According to Wagner, its soldiers fought alongside Malian troops against terrorism for nearly three and a half years, eliminating thousands of extremists and their leaders who were threatening civilians.
The group added that it had supported the Malian army in strengthening its capabilities and discipline and that control over all regional capitals had been restored to the country's legitimate authorities. “The mission is complete. Wagner PMC is going home,” the group said in a statement.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously confirmed that Mali’s government asked for Wagner’s help in 2021 and that Moscow has provided official military support to the country. Earlier this year, in April, Lavrov pledged continued aid to the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) — Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso — through training, arms deliveries, and assistance in developing their own armed forces.
Wagner’s departure comes amid reports alleging that Ukrainian soldiers and Tuareg fighters teamed up with al-Qaeda-linked groups in the region. Malian media and Russian officials say equipment, including drones and documents, was recovered from jihadist formations and traced back to Ukraine’s military. The Russian Foreign Ministry described these revelations as part of a “systematic effort” by Kiev to destabilize the Sahel.
This controversy followed a 2024 attack in which Tuareg rebels ambushed Malian and Wagner soldiers. Subsequently, a spokesperson for Ukraine's military called the attack a “successful military operation”—a claim that prompted Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to sever diplomatic ties with Kiev.
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