The Russian military will maintain its presence in Mali despite the departure of the Wagner Group, as Moscow continues to support the Malian armed forces in their battle against Al-Qaeda-linked militant groups.
Russia’s Africa Corps, a unit under the direct control of the Russian government, announced via its official Telegram channel that Wagner’s exit would not affect the broader Russian military presence in Mali. “Our mission continues,” the statement read, reaffirming Moscow’s commitment to its African partner.
On Friday, the Wagner Group—a Russian private military company (PMC)—officially announced its withdrawal from Mali, ending more than three and a half years of deployment in the West African nation.
The development comes in the wake of a realignment in Mali’s foreign partnerships. Following military coups in 2020 and 2021, Mali’s new leadership pivoted away from traditional Western allies, including France, and sought closer ties with Russia.
French troops, who had been deployed in Mali since 2013 to combat jihadist insurgencies, completed their withdrawal in August 2022. Russian forces began arriving earlier that year bolstering the Malian government’s capacity to reclaim territory from militant groups.
Since the deployment of Wagner and regular Russian military units, the Malian government has retaken several key areas, including regional capitals such as Gao, Anefis, and Kidal. The siege of the ancient city of Timbuktu, which had been under siege was also reportedly lifted during this period.
Despite being embroiled in civil war since 2012, Mali has increasingly become a focal point in the broader geopolitical struggle between Russia and Western powers.
In July 2024, near the town of Tinzaouaten along the Malian-Algerian border, fighters from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) ambushed a convoy of Malian and Wagner troops, inflicting significant casualties. Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov later claimed credit for providing “necessary information, and not just information” to the militants. Although Ukrainian officials later attempted to walk back the remarks, the diplomatic fallout was swift.
In response, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—immediately severed diplomatic ties with Ukraine. Mali went further, labeling Ukraine a “terrorist state.”
On Friday, RT published a report accusing Ukrainian and French instructors of training militants and supplying drones. According to the report, following a May 30th attack, documents, equipment, and drones bearing Ukrainian markings were recovered from the scene.