‘DEPLOYMENT’ OF RUSSIAN MERCENARIES IN MALI SLAMMED BY WESTERN POWERS

The deployment of Russian mercenaries working for the controversial Wagner Group in conflict-torn Mali has been condemned by France and more than a dozen Western allies, who accuse Moscow of providing material support to the fighters.

The 15 countries, which include Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom, issued a joint statement on Thursday saying they “firmly condemn the deployment of mercenary troops on Malian territory.”

After months of warnings to the government in Bamako, it was one of the first official acknowledgements by Western capitals that the deployment of fighters has begun in Mali. However, the statement did not state that the presence of the shadowy private military company in Mali would lead to the withdrawal of foreign forces fighting armed groups in the region.

“This deployment can only further deteriorate the security situation in West Africa, lead to an aggravation of the human rights situation in Mali [and] threaten the agreement for peace and reconciliation in Mali,” the countries said.

They added they “deeply regret” the choice of the Malian authorities to use “already scarce public funds” to pay foreign mercenaries instead of supporting the country’s armed forces.

In a message to Moscow, the statement added: “We are aware of the involvement of the Russian Federation government in providing material support to the deployment of the Wagner group in Mali and call on Russia to revert to a responsible and constructive behaviour in the region.”

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The Russian government denies any links with Wagner, but the group has reportedly been linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin, a businessman close to President Vladimir Putin. In late September, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Mali had approached private Russian companies to boost security in the country, but added that the Kremlin was not involved.

Mali’s government has not commented on the latest developments.

The source also said there had been frequent visits by Wagner executives to Bamako and the activities by Russian geologists known for their association with Wagner.

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French troops’ drawdown

The other countries to have co-signed Thursday’s statement were Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania and Sweden.

Experts have said a deal between Mali’s military-led government and the private security firm to hire mercenaries would increase Moscow’s influence while undermining French-led operations against armed groups operating in the country and the wider Sahel region.

French troops have been present in Mali since 2013, when they intervened to force out armed fighters from power in the country’s north. That operation was later extended to other countries in an effort to stabilise the broader Sahel region that includes Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania.

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Faced with a fight that appears to have no end in sight, French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans in July to reduce the 5,100 French troops assigned to the Barkhane mission by half and close French bases in northern Mali in order to launch a larger European effort.

The withdrawal came as anti-French sentiment has grown among Malians, who accuse Paris of failing to control the country’s spiraling violence and pursuing a hidden agenda.

Meanwhile, Malian officials have accused France of abandoning their country with its “unilateral” troop withdrawal decision.

The French government source said the deployment of the Wagner troops was a “symptom” of the attitude of the current authorities towards transition and showed that, rather than paving the way for civilian rule, they wanted to “stay in place”.

The Wagner Group has caused controversy through its involvement in Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic and the conflict in eastern Ukraine. European Union ministers have agreed to draw up more sanctions against Wagner.

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France has previously said any deployment of Wagner militia would be incompatible with the presence of French troops.

The statement from the 15 powers on Thursday indicated they planned to remain engaged in Mali, saying “we will not give up our efforts to address the needs of the Malian population”.

“We consider the decision of those responsible in Mali to bring mercenaries into the country to be wrong and expressly regret it,” German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said in a tweet.