A commander in a Russian mercenary group has been killed in Mali following an attack by rebel fighters during a sandstorm, the group confirmed. The military regime in Mali had sought support from the notorious Wagner group in 2021 to combat jihadist and separatist forces.
The Russian outfit, now known as Africa Corps, announced that they had engaged in “fierce battles” alongside Mali’s military against separatist rebels and jihadist militants. However, the separatists launched a major attack, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 20 to 50 mercenaries, according to sources close to Africa Corps and Russian military bloggers.
Among the casualties was Commander Sergei Shevchenko, who was killed in action. The mercenaries initially claimed to have defeated most of the Islamists, but a sandstorm allowed the radicals to regroup and increase their numbers to 1,000 people.
The separatist group, the Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security and Development (CSP-PSD), claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that they had dealt a “decisive blow” to the enemy forces. Prisoners were taken, and a significant amount of equipment and weapons were captured.
Video footage shared by the rebel group shows white men in military attire lying motionless on the ground, as well as black men with blindfolds and hands tied behind their backs. The authenticity of the videos has not been confirmed by the BBC.
Al-Qaeda affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) also claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that they had killed 50 Russian mercenaries in a “complex ambush”.
Mali has been plagued by unrest for over a decade, with a Tuareg rebellion leading to the involvement of Islamist militants. The military regime, which came to power in coups in 2020 and 2021, cited the government’s inability to address the unrest as justification for seizing power.
In a bid to quell the unrest, the junta severed Mali’s alliance with France in favor of Russia. However, the Wagner mercenary group was disbanded after a mutiny by its leader, leading to the formation of Africa Corps in West Africa.
