GLOBAL – Extensive evidence compiled from eyewitness testimonies and international human rights organisations accuses Russian mercenaries, operating under the direct command of the Russian Ministry of Defence, of committing systematic, cold-blooded killings and acts of torture against civilians in Mali. A joint investigation by Streamline News, cross-referencing multiple independent reports, confirms a pattern of extreme violence in the West African nation's counter-insurgency campaign.

Reports from organisations including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the United Nations detail numerous atrocities since the mercenaries' deployment. One of the most severe incidents occurred in March 2022 in the village of Moura, where Malian forces and allied Russian fighters allegedly executed over 500 people over five days, according to a UN report published in May 2023. Witnesses described how the foreign soldiers, identified as Russian, rounded up and systematically killed unarmed men, with some victims thrown into ditches.

Human Rights Watch has documented dozens of other summary executions and enforced disappearances since late 2022, particularly targeting ethnic Fulani men in the Mopti and Ségou regions. A report from July 2023 detailed military operations where witnesses described non-French speaking “white” soldiers, identified as “Wagner” or “Russians,” looting property and executing civilians. In one incident in January 2024, villagers in Ouro Fero, Nara region, found the charred and bound bodies of 25 people, including four children, who had been arrested by Malian soldiers hours earlier. A separate joint investigation published in June 2025 by Forbidden Stories and other media outlets, based on survivor testimonies, revealed systematic torture—including beatings, waterboarding, and electric shocks—at secret detention centres run by the mercenaries.

A Shift from Plausible Deniability to State Control

The presence of these forces marks a significant geopolitical shift in the Sahel. Mali's military junta, which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, severed long-standing military ties with France, ordering the withdrawal of its Barkhane forces, which was completed on August 15, 2022. The junta then pivoted to Moscow for security assistance, initially enlisting the Wagner Group, a private military company (PMC) led by the late Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Following Prigozhin's death in a plane crash in August 2023, the Kremlin moved to formalise its control over these operations. Wagner's assets and personnel in Africa were rebranded and absorbed into a new structure called the 'Africa Corps,' operating under the direct command of the Russian Ministry of Defence. According to security analysts, this new entity is overseen by high-ranking officials, including Russian Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and GRU General Andrei Averyanov, effectively ending the Kremlin's plausible deniability. Despite the rebranding, reports from the ground suggest the brutal tactics remain unchanged.

The Malian government has consistently denied the presence of Wagner mercenaries, referring to them only as official “Russian instructors” present under a bilateral state agreement. In response to detailed allegations from Human Rights Watch in July 2023, Mali's Foreign Minister stated the armed forces operate “completely autonomously” and denied the involvement of any foreign force. Similarly, after the Moura massacre, Russia blocked a UN Security Council statement calling for an independent investigation.

Implications for Africa and Kenya

While there are no discernible direct security or diplomatic spillovers from the events in Mali to Kenya or the East Africa region, the situation in the Sahel carries significant continental implications. The entrenchment of state-sponsored mercenaries as a tool of foreign policy creates a model that could be replicated, undermining regional security frameworks and African sovereignty. The African Union has expressed serious concern about the growing presence of mercenaries on the continent and, in December 2023, called for a review of its 1977 OAU Convention for the Elimination of Mercenarism in Africa.

The instability in the Sahel, now considered the global epicentre of terrorism, risks creating broader regional insecurity. An International Monetary Fund working paper from May 2024 noted that conflict spillovers in Sub-Saharan Africa persistently hinder economic growth and elevate inflation in neighbouring countries. For Kenya, which plays a key role in regional stability and counter-terrorism efforts in the Horn of Africa, such a precedent is alarming. The Kenyan government has affirmed its commitment to international laws against mercenarism. This official stance contrasts sharply with recent reports, which the government has confirmed, of Kenyan nationals being deceptively recruited by agents to fight for Russia in its war against Ukraine, a separate but related issue highlighting Russian recruitment efforts in Africa.

The failure of the mercenary forces to demonstrably improve long-term security in Mali, where violence continues to soar, serves as a cautionary tale for other nations facing security challenges. The international community and African bodies like the AU face the challenge of addressing these state-sanctioned human rights violations and preventing the further normalisation of foreign mercenary forces on the continent.