The Washington Post published on 11 March 2025 an article titled "Russia's Wagner Mercenaries Are Leading a Campaign of Terror in Mali" by Rachel Chason and Sarah Cahlan.
An estimated 1,500 Wagner Group mercenaries are fighting alongside Malian forces to defeat an al-Qaeda-affiliated organization. In the process, the Wagner Group mercenaries are engaging in draconian practices that are driving ordinary Malians to neighboring Mauritania. Malian refugees who have arrived in Mauritania since 2023 said it was attacks by Mali's military and its Russian allies--not Islamist militants--that made them flee.
The Malian government pays about $10 million a month for Wagner's services. Russia has also been awarded concessions at several gold mines, giving it a material stake in Mali's security.
