Takeaways from AP’s investigation into Russia’s Africa Corps in Mali

Dozens of Malian refugees have reported that Russia’s Africa Corps, which replaced the Wagner mercenary group earlier this year, is committing serious human rights abuses including rapes and beheadings while working alongside Mali’s military to combat extremists. These firsthand accounts, gathered by The Associated Press during rare access to the Mauritanian border region, reveal a disturbing pattern of violence that mirrors the tactics previously employed by Wagner.

“It’s a scorched-earth policy,” said a Malian village chief who fled to Mauritania last month. “The soldiers speak to no one. Anyone they see, they shoot. No questions, no warning. People don’t even know why they are being killed.”

The chief, who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation, added: “There is no difference between Wagner and Africa Corps.”

West Africa’s Sahel region has become the global epicenter of extremist violence, with Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger increasingly turning to Russia for security assistance after severing ties with Western allies. The Africa Corps, which reports directly to Russia’s Defense Ministry, replaced the notorious Wagner Group six months ago, initially raising hopes among civilians for less brutal treatment.

Instead, refugees described a new reign of terror by the “white men” operating in Mali’s largely ungoverned territories. Among the 34 refugees interviewed by AP, multiple individuals shared evidence of atrocities, including videos of villages allegedly burned by Africa Corps. Others reported finding the bodies of loved ones with organs removed, consistent with previous AP reporting that documented social media channels showing men in military uniforms mutilating corpses of apparent Malian civilians.

Malian authorities have never publicly acknowledged the presence of either Wagner or Africa Corps. However, Russian state media has recently published reports praising Africa Corps for defending Mali from “terrorists,” and Russia’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed the unit is active “at the request of the Malian authorities,” providing ground escorts and other operational support.

The Africa Corps remains shrouded in secrecy, with analysts estimating its strength at approximately 2,000 fighters. Not all personnel are Russian nationals. Several refugees told AP they observed Black men speaking foreign languages among the unit, and the European Council on Foreign Relations reports that the Corps recruits from Russia, Belarus, and various African states.

The hunt for militants intensified in September when JNIM fighters, an al-Qaeda affiliate, imposed an unprecedented blockade on fuel supplies entering Mali from neighboring countries. This escalation has placed civilians in an impossible situation.

“If you don’t tell the army you saw jihadists, the army will kill you. But if you tell them, the jihadists will find you and kill you,” explained one refugee, illustrating the deadly dilemma facing local populations.

Documenting the full scope of atrocities remains challenging due to limited access for journalists and humanitarian workers in the region.

“There is a lot of people raped, attacked, killed. Families are separated, there is no doubt about that,” said Sukru Cansizoglu, the representative in Mauritania for the UN refugee agency. However, he noted that “it is sometimes difficult to really pinpoint who are the perpetrators.”

The transition from Wagner to Africa Corps represents a significant shift in accountability. While Wagner maintained a degree of separation from the Kremlin despite close ties to Russian intelligence and military structures, the Africa Corps operates directly under Russia’s Defense Ministry.

“Despite the rebranding, there is striking continuity in personnel, commanders, tactics and even insignia between Wagner and Africa Corps,” said Lindsay Freeman, senior director of international accountability at UC Berkeley School of Law’s Human Rights Center, which monitors the conflict in Mali.

This organizational structure has important legal implications. “Because Africa Corps is embedded in Russia’s Ministry of Defense, it can be treated as an organ of the Russian state under international law,” Freeman explained. “That means any war crimes committed by Africa Corps in Mali are, in principle, attributable to the Russian government under the rules on state responsibility.”

The reported atrocities come as Russia continues to expand its influence across Africa, particularly in countries that have experienced coups or political instability. For civilians caught in the crossfire, the distinction between different Russian military entities appears meaningless, as the pattern of violence and impunity continues unabated in one of the world’s most vulnerable regions.