Wagner Group Ends Mali Mission Amid Rising Insurgency: What's Next?

The Wagner mercenary group has announced its withdrawal from Mali following over three years of combating Islamist militants. The Russian-backed group claims to have successfully completed its mission, restoring control to the Malian military junta by pushing out Islamist forces and eliminating their commanders.

The departure comes amidst recent attacks said to have claimed over 100 Malian soldiers' lives, with insurgent group Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) claiming responsibility for the violence. Despite Wagner's exit, their departure does not signal the end of Russian involvement in Mali, as the new Africa Corps steps in.

The Africa Corps, supported by Russia's Defence Ministry and partially comprising former Wagner fighters, will shift focus to training and equipping the Malian forces, according to Ulf Laessing of Germany's Konrad Adenauer Foundation. This strategic shift aims to continue Russian influence in the region while potentially reducing direct combat operations against jihadists.

(With inputs from agencies.)