Wagner will exit Mali after ‘fulfilling its objectives.’

The Wagner Group has declared its exit from Mali after what it referred to as “the fulfillment of its primary mission” in the West African nation. The Russian paramilitary organization has been active in that region since 2021, collaborating with the armed forces to confront Islamist insurgents.

In a post on its Telegram channel, Wagner claimed it had “combated terrorism alongside the people of Mali”, eliminating “thousands of militants and their leaders, who had terrorized civilians for years”.

The announcement of withdrawal coincides with reports indicating that Malian soldiers had vacated a significant base in the country’s center, following a second lethal attack in under a week. For over ten years, Mali has been contending with a militant Islamist insurgency.

After claims that the government was not addressing this insecurity, the military took control a few years prior. French forces, initially sent to assist the civilian administration, exited the nation in 2022. At that point, the governing junta in Mali had started collaborating with Russian mercenaries to fight against the insurgents.

Recent weeks have seen a revival of jihadist assaults on military installations in the Sahel region.

On Sunday, a group associated with al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for a significant assault on the town of Boulikessi and the military base present there. On Monday, the same group – Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) – stated it struck the armed forces in the ancient city of Timbuktu, with locals reporting sounds of gunfire and blasts.

Insurgents similarly assaulted a military outpost in the village of Mahou in the southeastern Sikasso area, resulting in five deaths.

Residents informed the news organization that troops left the Boulkessi base following a fresh attack on Thursday that resulted in several fatalities. A military source stated that the exit was “strategic” and “upon the request of the leadership,” according to the news agency.

The rising attacks in the Sahel region have sparked worries regarding Wagner’s effectiveness in that area. Even though the paramilitary organization has declared its departure from Mali, Russian troops will continue to have a significant presence in the nation’s security environment.

Troops from Africa Corps – a competing Russian mercenary group aimed at taking over Wagner’s operations in the region – will stay in Mali. Russia’s military, political, and economic influence in West and Central Africa is growing.

Friday’s announcement did not mention if Wagner would exit the Central African Republic, where its African headquarters are based.