A commander from the Russian mercenary group Africa Corps has been killed in Mali following an attack by rebel fighters during a sandstorm, the group announced.
The West African nation’s military regime had enlisted the notorious Wagner Group in 2021 to combat jihadist and separatist forces.
On Monday, Africa Corps, the rebranded Wagner outfit, reported engaging in fierce battles alongside Mali’s military against separatist rebels and the militants last week.
However, a major rebel assault resulted in the deaths of an estimated 20 to 50 mercenaries, according to sources close to Africa Corps and reports from Russian military bloggers. The ambush took place near the north-eastern town of Tinzaouaten.
In an official statement posted to Telegram, Africa Corps confirmed suffering losses, including the death of a commander, Sergei Shevchenko, but did not specify the total number of casualties.
The statement detailed that the mercenaries initially destroyed most of the Islamist fighters and forced the rest to flee. However, a subsequent sandstorm allowed the radicals to regroup and increase their numbers to around 1,000.
The Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security and Development (CSP-PSD), a separatist group dominated by the Tuareg ethnic group, claimed responsibility for the attack. A CSP-PSD spokesperson stated that their forces delivered a decisive blow to the enemy, capturing prisoners and damaging or seizing a significant amount of equipment and weapons.
Video footage released by the rebel group shows numerous white men in military fatigues lying motionless on a sandy plain, alongside another group of mostly black men blindfolded and with their hands tied behind their backs.
More than a decade ago, Mali’s central government lost control of much of the north following a Tuareg rebellion, which demanded a separate state. The conflict was further complicated by the involvement of Islamist militants. Following coups in 2020 and 2021, Mali’s military cited the government’s failure to address the unrest as a justification for seizing power. Subsequently, the junta ended Mali’s alliance with former colonial power France in favor of Russia.
The Wagner mercenary group was effectively dismantled after a mutiny by its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, last year, leading to its replacement in West Africa by Africa Corps.
