Two years after the death of Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russian mercenaries have failed to bring stability to Mali, reports The Economist.
The Wagner Group, deployed shortly after the 2021 coup, did not improve security in the country. Instead, it fueled chaos, created tensions with the Malian army, and failed to secure access to the nation’s rich natural resources.
According to the report, jihadist attacks by the JNIM network have increased significantly, while civilian casualties have quadrupled since Wagner’s arrival. Analysts estimate that 80% of these casualties were caused by Malian troops and Wagner forces themselves.
The brutal methods of the Russian mercenaries—including terrorizing civilians, racism against Malian soldiers, looting military resources, and disobeying the chain of command—led to deep divisions with the national army and resulted in the dismissal of generals who opposed collaboration with Wagner.
Unlike its operations in countries such as the Central African Republic or Sudan, Russia failed to secure control over Mali’s gold mines. Consequently, Malian military leader Assimi Goita is now seeking new strategic partners and is negotiating with Turkey and the United States for military support and resource agreements.
Wagner was deployed to Mali in 2021 following the withdrawal of French forces and the UN mission. Since then, there has been no significant improvement in security, and the situation has further deteriorated.
In the summer of 2024, several dozen Wagner fighters were killed by Tuareg fighters, and the mercenaries responded by massacring civilians, according to reports based on local sources.
