US EditionWagner to withdraw from Mali after 'completing mission'
- On June 6, 2025, Wagner, the Russian mercenary group, declared that it has concluded its operation aiding Mali’s military junta in combating Islamist insurgents in the Sahel region.
- This withdrawal followed a 2020 coup by Mali's military junta, which broke ties with France and Western partners and sought Russian military aid amid a decade-long jihadist insurgency.
- Wagner claimed to have restored regional control to the junta and killed thousands of militants but faced setbacks such as a July 2023 ambush and accusations of abuses and exploitation of Mali's resources.
- Following Wagner's withdrawal, the Russia-backed Africa Corps, which includes many ex-Wagner members, will concentrate more on preparing and arming Malian troops while continuing to uphold Russian influence in the area.
- The move signals a strategic change in Russian involvement in Mali but does not end Russia’s role, amid ongoing insurgent violence claimed by JNIM, including recent deadly attacks killing over 100 Malian soldiers.
73 Articles
73 Articles
The Russian mercenary group Wagner has announced that it is leaving Mali after three and a half years of fighting Islamist armed groups, after its mission in the African country was, as they say, "successfully completed".
The Russian-backed mercenary force Wagner will leave Mali, the group said via Telegram. Wagner has been in place in the country since the current ruling military junta took power in 2021. Moscow has expanded its military presence in Africa in recent years and previously used Wagner to achieve its goals. This changed when the group's leader Yevgeny Prigozhin...
The Wagner organization announced through its channel on the Telegram app that it has brought all the country's regional centers back under the control of the military junta.
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