The June 6 announcement by the infamous Wagner Group private military company that it will end its three-and-a-half-year-long deployment in Mali is an important development in Russia’s evolving mercenary landscape. Even as one Russian mercenary group is leaving, the country’s presence in Africa is not going anywhere. The Kremlin seized control of Wagner’s operations, most notably in Africa, following the dramatic events of 2023. After its short-lived rebellion against Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose Kremlin was probably responsible for Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death in a private plane crash, something had to be done about the organization that remained.
The Wagner Group Is Leaving Mali. But Russian Mercenaries Aren’t Going Anywhere | RAND
