Russian militant group, Wagner, recovers corpses of mercenaries killed in Mali

A private military company based in Russia, Wagner has claimed that its fighters had recovered the bodies of its mercenaries killed in a July battle with Tuareg rebels and Islamists during a desert sandstorm in Mali.

Mali, where military authorities seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, is battling years-long Islamist insurgency.

Wagner said in July that it took heavy losses in the battle but has given few details.

“An operation was successfully completed to return the bodies of our brothers, who in July 2024 heroically took up the fight with Islamists many times outnumbered,” Wagner said in a rare statement on Telegram late on Tuesday.

The heavy defeat experienced by the mercenary in July illustrated the dangers they faced while working for military juntas, which were struggling to contain separatists and powerful offshoots of Islamic State and Al Qaeda across the arid Sahel region in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

Wagner said its fighters had passed through a desert area near Tinzaouaten in north Mali that was “teeming with Azawad militants”.

“The bodies of our fallen brothers will return to the homeland, We do not leave our own, and all of them – dead or alive – will be returned home,” the group said.

Recall that in July, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, met with the head of the Wagner Evgeny Prigozhin, several days after the group aborted an uprising.

Kremlin Press Secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said told reporters that Putin invited 35 people to the meeting, including unit commanders, and that it lasted three hours.

About Wagner Group

The Wagner Group is a Russian private military company (PMC) founded in 2014.

The group operates as a shadowy mercenary force, providing military services and support to Russian interests globally, particularly in conflict zones such as Ukraine, Syria, Libya, and the Central African Republic.

Wagner’s activities include combat operations, training, logistics, and strategic advisory services, often blurring the lines between military and commercial interests.

With alleged ties to the Kremlin, Wagner’s operations are shrouded in secrecy, and its involvement has been linked to human rights abuses, war crimes, and destabilization efforts.

The EU, US, and UK have imposed sanctions on Wagner, designating it as a threat to regional stability and global security. Despite official denials, Wagner’s influence and reach underscore Russia’s expanding footprint in global conflicts.

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