Hundreds Of Russian Mercenaries Operate In Mali, France: The Junta Chooses Its Back To Europe, America And Africa

JAKARTA - About 300 to 400 Russian mercenaries are operating in central Mali, a senior official with the French armed forces ministry said, contradicting the West African country's junta statement that only Russian military trainers are stationed there.

Other West African countries have closed their borders with Mali, cut diplomatic ties and imposed economic sanctions in response to the postponement of elections following the 2020 military coup, the 15-state regional bloc said on Sunday.

The move was also in response to the arrival of private military contractors from Russia's Wagner Group, most of whose members are former military personnel.

"I would say there are about 300-400 Wagner members and there is also a Russian coach, who provides the equipment," the French official told reporters at a briefing, citing Reuters January 12.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Russian mercenaries had been deployed with Malian troops to the center of the country.

Mali's junta, which had proposed a five-year transition rather than resigning in February as originally planned, said the new troops were military instructors who had come with the equipment they bought from Russia.

Previously, the European Union had imposed sanctions on the Wagner Group, accusing it of carrying out clandestine operations on behalf of the Kremlin. Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin insisted the group does not represent the Russian state, but private military contractors have the right to work anywhere in the world as long as they do not violate Russian laws.

France has thousands of troops fighting Islamist insurgents in the Sahel region, and in December joined 15 other countries, mostly European countries operating in Mali, in condemning the possible arrival of mercenaries.

Paris said such a move was incompatible with France's presence in Mali, referring to the presence of foreign troops.

"The fact that Wagner is in another part of Mali limits the risk of an interaction that will be very difficult (for us) to accept," the French official said.

"They (the junta) made the choice to turn their back on Europe, America, and Africa and that had consequences," he stressed.

He added that consultations were ongoing between France and its European partners, which have provided special forces in Mali, on how to respond. A decision is likely at the EU level at the end of January.