Wagner in Mali: the silence of the transitional authorities
Colonel Assimi Goita, president of the Malian transition, in June 2021 in Bamako.
© REUTERS - AMADOU KEITA
Text by: David Baché
1 min
In Mali, the Wagner soap opera continues.
For the past ten days, information about the deployment of several hundred Russian soldiers, assimilated by some sources to fighters from the Wagner group, has been increasing.
Advertising
Read more
The Malian authorities are sticking to their position which has already been stated many times: no contract has been signed with the private group Wagner.
But whether on the political or military side, no official statement has been made on the latest developments.
The last official Bamako press release on the subject dates back to December 24, more than two weeks ago.
"
Regretting
" the joint declaration of 15 Western countries, the Malian transitional government denied the arrival in the country of the Russian group, demanded independent proof, and specified that
"
Russian trainers
" were present in Mali
as part of a state-to-state cooperation.
But since then, numerous local testimonies and international security sources have reported a clear evolution: Whites in fatigues not belonging to any of Mali's military partners officially deployed on the ground have been reported alongside Malian soldiers, especially in the Center (Ségou, Djenné, Bandiagara, Tombouctou ...).
High-level international sources claim that Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group even took part directly in fighting against the Katiba Macina last Monday near Bandiagara - which is theoretically not the role of an instructor.
According to these same international sources, 300 to 350 Wagner's men have been deployed inside the country for ten days.
New major elements that neither the Malian army, nor the Ministry of Defense, nor the presidency, wanted to deny or confirm.
"
These are just the fabrications of people in the West,
agrees to comment anonymously an important government adviser.
Since the last government press release, nothing has changed.
When we have to go to public opinion, we will.
"
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Mali