Mercenary Meltdown: The Wagner Group’s Failure in Mali
Publisher: The Sentry
Date: 2025
Topics: Dispute Resolution/Mediation, Extractive Resources, Peace Agreements
Countries: Algeria, Mali
The first Wagner Group fighters arrived in Bamako in January 2022 to assist the Malian military junta in its counterterrorism campaign. Three and a half years later, the group has announced its withdrawal from Mali to make space for Africa Corps with the statement “Mission accomplished.” But as the number of Wagner fighters in Mali will stay roughly the same, since many had already signed contracts with the
Russian state prior to the announcement, the group’s claim to success—and their overall strategy in Mali—merits scrutiny.