Wagner Group Begins Withdrawal from Mali After Mission Completion

The mercenary group has been pivotal in combating the insurgency in the region, but recent attacks raise questions about security.

The Wagner Group has officially declared its withdrawal from Mali, stating it has successfully completed its primary mission in the West African nation. The Russian mercenary outfit, which has been active in Mali since 2021, worked in conjunction with the local military to combat a persistent Islamist militant threat. Through a message shared on its Telegram channel, Wagner claimed to have eradicated "thousands of militants and their commanders who have terrorized civilians for years."

This announcement coincides with reports that Malian troops have retreated from a major military base in central Mali following a second deadly attack within a week. The country has been enduring a militant Islamist insurgency for over a decade. In the wake of criticism regarding the government’s effectiveness in addressing this escalating crisis, a military coup occurred several years ago.

Initially, French troops were deployed to support the civilian government against insurgents but left the country in 2022. By that time, the ruling junta had already begun partnering with Wagner to combat extremist forces. Recent weeks, however, have seen a worrying resurgence of jihadist assaults on military installations in Mali.

On Sunday, an al-Qaeda affiliated group executed a significant assault on Boulikessi, resulting in over 30 soldiers' fatalities, Bloomberg reported. The following day, the same group - Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) - targeted military personnel in Timbuktu, with local residents reporting gunfire and explosions ringing through the historic city. Further unrest also plagued the southeastern Sikasso region, where five soldiers were killed during an attack on an army post.

Local reports stated that military personnel retreated from the Boulikessi base following the latest assault, a maneuver characterized as "strategic" and undertaken at the behest of military leadership. The uptick in violence across the Sahel region has raised substantial concerns regarding Wagner's effectiveness in the area, particularly after the announcement of their exit from Mali.

Despite Wagner’s withdrawal, Russian military involvement in Mali is set to continue as forces from Africa Corps—a rival mercenary group—will remain stationed in the nation. Russia's clout in the military, political, and economic arenas across West and Central Africa is on the rise. Friday’s statement did not clarify whether Wagner would also withdraw from the Central African Republic, where its African headquarters are established.