The Wagner Group, designated a terrorist organization 15 Sep 2023 by the British government and under sanction by the US Department of Treasury, has been committing atrocities against civilians in Mali according to Human Rights Watch.
Abject poverty, global climate change, and severe environmental degradation make Mali an ideal breeding ground for the dispossessed and disenchanted to become grievance guerillas in Al-Qaida-affiliated groups, posing a security challenge for the countries of the Sahel.
Excerpt: Malian armed forces and Wagner Group foreign fighters have unlawfully killed and summarily executed several dozen civilians during counterinsurgency operations in Mali’s central and northern regions since December 2023. Military drone strikes on a wedding celebration on 16 February 2024, and during a burial on 17 February 2024, killed at least 14 civilians, including four children.
An estimated one thousand Wagnerites are operating in Mali and In terms of military power, Globalfirepower.com ranks Mali 106 of 145 nations reviewed. Some 200 Malian soldiers and nine police officers are receiving training in Russia. Moscow has been filling the security vacuum left by France and the US in Mali (as well as other African countries), an accusation the Kremlin denies.
Sources: Mali: Army, Wagner Group Atrocities Against Civilians | Human Rights Watch (hrw.org)
Russia Denies Strategy to Spread Africa Influence After Wagner ‘Rebrand’ (voanews.com)
Environmental issues in Mali - Wikipedia
Wagner Group activities in Africa - Wikipedia