Wagner Mercenary Group Ends Support Mission In Mali

The Russian private military company Wagner announced Friday that it has completed its mission supporting Mali’s military junta in its fight against Islamist insurgents.

“PMC Wagner completed its main mission in Mali,” the group said in a statement. “PMC Wagner is returning home.”

Mali, a landlocked country in the Sahel region, has been plagued by jihadist and separatist insurgencies since 2012. A military junta seized power in 2020 and turned to Russia for political and military support after breaking ties with France and other Western partners.

In a video message, Wagner accused Western forces of “methodically pilfering” Mali’s natural wealth and claimed Russian fighters arrived with “the best weapons and the most advanced military technology.” Wagner itself has faced numerous allegations of exploiting Mali’s gold reserves in exchange for its services.

“We’ve killed thousands of militants and their commanders who have been terrorizing civilians for years,” it claimed.