Mali: the Wagner group soon in Mali?

The interim Malian president, Colonel Assimi Goïta, during a review of the armed forces, June 7, 2021 in Bamako.

AFP - ANNIE RISEMBERG

Text by: David Baché

2 min

Will the Russian mercenaries from the private company Wagner soon be active in Mali?

Yes, according to the British news agency Reuters, which says that negotiations between the transitional authorities and the Wagner group are underway and even "

 close to concluding

 ".

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The Wagner group is already present in Africa, particularly in Libya and the Central African Republic, where its

abuses have been documented by journalists, particularly RFI,

and by human rights organizations. In Mali, on the other hand, it would be a first and that, in a context of French disengagement with the announced end of Operation Barkhane and the reduction of French military personnel in the country.

The agreement under negotiation would, according to Reuters, involve the sending of several hundred or even a thousand Russian mercenaries to Mali.

The Wagner group would be paid six billion CFA francs - more than nine million euros - per month to train Malian soldiers and ensure the protection of certain senior leaders.

No direct participation in the fight against terrorist groups.

The Wagner Group's access to three mining sites would also be part of the discussions.

Reuters relies on seven diplomatic and military sources, but no official confirmation, neither on the Wagner side nor on the Malian side.

Asked by RFI for several days on the subject, none of the government, military or presidential authorities contacted has confirmed the discussions in progress.

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To read also

: End of Barkhane: Mali facing the French military disengagement in the Sahel

Paris would try to dissuade Bamako from making the deal a reality

Mali's defense minister was visiting Moscow earlier this month.

This is not his first mission in the country he knows well since Colonel Sadio Camara, like Colonel Assimi Goïta, President of the Transition, carried out part of his training in Russia.

This is also the case of Colonel Malick Diaw, president of the National Transitional Council.

That is three of the five pillars of the CNSP junta, authors of the August 2020 coup d'état which brought down President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.

Reuters further claims that Paris is currently trying to dissuade the Malian authorities from going through with the deal.

Without confirming it, a high-ranking officer of the French army recalls the many abuses of which the Wagner group is accused in the Central African Republic.

And to comment: “ 

It is certainly not the best solution

.

"

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