Wagner Group says it’s withdrawing from Mali, claiming its ‘main mission’ there is complete

Meduza.io

Wagner Group announced that it has completed its “main mission” in Mali and is withdrawing from the country, according to a statement posted on a Telegram channel closely associated with the mercenary group.

The post claims that Wagner fighters spent three and a half years “fighting shoulder to shoulder with the people of Mali against terrorism.”

“We eliminated thousands of militants and their commanders who had terrorized the civilian population for years. We helped local patriots build a strong and disciplined army capable of defending their land. And we accomplished the main objective — all regional capitals have been returned to the control of the legitimate government. The mission is complete. Wagner Group is going home,” the statement said.

Reports that Wagner was recruiting fighters for deployment to Mali first surfaced in September 2021. That year, Assimi Goïta seized power in a coup d’état, after which more than 5,000 French troops stationed in Mali were withdrawn from the country. According to Western media, Wagner was brought in to train Malian soldiers and provide security for top government officials. Russia’s Foreign Ministry effectively confirmed the deal, while emphasizing that the Russian government had no official involvement.

The independent project All Eyes On Wagner, which tracks the paramilitary group’s activities, published a report on Wagner’s first year in Mali, detailing mass killings, rapes, looting, and attacks on civilians.

In the summer of 2024, fighting broke out between Tuareg rebels on one side and Malian troops and Wagner fighters on the other. During the clashes, the government-aligned forces were ambushed. Casualty estimates vary, but between 20 and 80 Wagner fighters were reportedly killed.

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