DOUANKARA, Mauritania – Fleeing unimaginable horrors, dozens of Malian civilians now seeking refuge in Mauritania are providing disturbing accounts of widespread abuses, including rapes and beheadings, allegedly committed by the Africa Corps. This new Russian military unit has reportedly taken over operations from the infamous Wagner mercenary group, collaborating with the Malian military in its campaign against extremist elements.
Refugees in border camps, where Millenium TV gained rare access, describe a brutal “scorched-earth policy” similar to that previously attributed to Wagner. They recount indiscriminate killings, with soldiers reportedly opening fire without warning or explanation. Several individuals have shared harrowing testimonies, including videos of their villages reduced to ashes. Others speak of finding the bodies of loved ones with organs missing, a gruesome tactic previously documented during Wagner’s presence.
One Malian village chief, now a refugee, described the grim reality: “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 shift from Western allies to Russia by military governments in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger was intended to combat growing extremism in the Sahel, now considered the deadliest region globally for such activities. When the Africa Corps replaced Wagner six months ago, weary civilians had hoped for an end to the widespread brutality. However, numerous accounts suggest the reign of terror has simply continued under a new name.
Mougaloa, a herder from northern Mali, shared her devastating experience. She witnessed armed men, including Malian soldiers, seize her 20-year-old son, Koubadi. After he denied seeing militants, he was brutally beaten unconscious and then had his throat slit before her eyes. The family fled but was later caught again. This time, masked men in military uniforms, shouting a Russian derogatory term for “dogs” (“pes”), looted their possessions. Her 16-year-old daughter, Akhadya, was dragged away, and then her older daughter, Fatma, was taken into a tent, never to be seen again. “We were so scared,” Mougaloa recounted, trembling. “We are hoping she will get here at some point.”
Legal analysts emphasize that with Africa Corps directly embedded within Russia’s Ministry of Defense, the Russian government could be held directly accountable under international law for any war crimes committed by the unit in Mali. “Despite the rebranding, there is striking continuity in personnel, commanders, tactics and even insignia between Wagner and Africa Corps,” noted a human rights expert.
Malian authorities have maintained public silence regarding the presence of either Wagner or Africa Corps, despite Russian state media reports praising Africa Corps’ efforts against “terrorists.” Russia’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed the unit’s operations “at the request of the Malian authorities.”
The human cost of the conflict is immeasurable, exacerbated by limited access for independent observers. The United Nations refugee agency representative in Mauritania, Sukru Cansizoglu, acknowledged the widespread rapes, attacks, and killings, and family separations, but also the difficulty in identifying perpetrators definitively. Civilians are caught in an impossible situation: facing reprisals from extremist groups if they don’t comply with evacuation orders, or being deemed accomplices by the Malian army and Africa Corps if they flee.
Bocar, another refugee who initially returned home after Wagner’s announced departure, found the situation unchanged. “Only the name was changed,” he stated, describing the same methods, and even worse conditions, forcing him to flee again after documenting 214 killings and abductions in his hometown.
The psychological scars run deep. Fatma, a woman from Kurmare, endured the looting of her village and the murder of her son. Her injured daughter, who suffered seizures, also tragically died on the journey to Mauritania. Unable to speak of what the “white men” did to her personally, she muttered, “It stays between God and me.” Now in Mauritania, she struggles with sleep and breath, constantly clutching her chest, haunted by memories. “Life has lost its meaning,” she lamented.
The exact number of Africa Corps fighters, estimated around 2,000, and their operational terms remain largely unknown. While official figures suggest a decrease in civilian deaths attributed to Russian forces this year compared to last, experts warn that fear of retaliation may be suppressing reports. The withdrawal of a UN peacekeeping mission in 2023 and Mali’s exit from the International Criminal Court further hinder efforts to monitor abuses and ensure accountability in a conflict where impunity appears to accelerate human rights violations.
