Africa Corps a paramilitary group has taken over from Wagner group in Mali according to diplomatic and security sources quoted by local media in Bamako.
“Officially, Wagner is no longer present in Mali. But the Africa Corps is stepping up,” local media quoted a diplomatic source without identifying it.
Details indicate that the Africa Corps group is also run by Russia just like Wagner.
“Most of the Wagner personnel in Mali, who are originally from Russia, will be reintegrated into Africa Corps and remain in northern regional capitals and Bamako.”
Wagner, Russia’s best-known mercenary group, was disbanded and restructured after its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash in August 2023.
Wagner said, “Mission accomplished. PMC Wagner is going home.”
Mali’s military government which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, broke off ties with France and pivoted toward Russia for political and military support.
France withdrew its 2,400 troops from Mali in 2022.
For over three years, Mali had relied on Wagner in its fight against jihadists who have killed thousands across the country.
“Wagner yesterday or Africa Corps today, our point of contact remains the same, it is the central power in Russia, that is to say the Kremlin,” a Malian security source said Sunday.
