Security company Wagner: Mali denies the use of Russian mercenaries

Germany and other western states accuse the military junta in Mali of using Russian mercenaries. The military has now rejected that, only trainers are used.

The rulers in the West African crisis state of Mali have rejected allegations by Western governments of having brought a Russian mercenary force into the country. “The government denies these baseless allegations and is demanding evidence from independent sources,” it said in a statement.

However, the interim government admits in its statement that Russian trainers are in the country. It is an agreement between the Malian and Russian states. Like the EU training mission EUTM, Russia is also training security forces in Mali. “The government calls for being judged by their actions rather than rumors and reminds that the Malian state has only a state-level partnership with Russia – its historical partner.”

Wagner in Mali since November

According to information from the French international broadcaster RFI, armed employees of the security company Wagner have been in Mali since November 22nd. According to this, the Malian state spends 100 million euros annually on the use of mercenaries, including mining rights to mines. How many mercenaries there should be remained unclear.

Russian media reported that Wagner was asked to help fight terrorists in September. The use of foreign paramilitaries was justified at the time with the danger that would arise from a withdrawal of French troops. France has begun withdrawing troops from Operation Barkhane in the past few weeks.

Bundeswehr soldiers in Mali

15 European states and Canada announced on Thursday that the deployment of Russian mercenaries would worsen the security situation in West Africa, the human rights situation and the implementation of a peace agreement. The governments deeply regretted that Mali was spending the scarce public funds on foreign mercenaries instead of equipping the Malian army or financing services for the population. They have indications that the Russian government is providing material support for the Wagner Group being sent to Mali.

The Bundeswehr is also deployed in Mali – as part of the UN peace mission Minusma and the EU training mission EUTM. Most recently, the Bundeswehr put the German presence at a good 1,350 soldiers.

In September, the then Federal Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) declared that an agreement between Mali and Russia on the use of mercenaries would call into question the basis of the Bundeswehr deployment there.

The EU member states had already openly threatened the country with an end to military and civilian engagement in this case. Mali, with around 20 million inhabitants, has seen three military coups since 2012 and is considered politically extremely unstable. Since the most recent coup in May, the country has been led by a military transitional government. Islamist terror groups have been troubling the crisis state for years.