The Russian Wagner mercenary group announced that its fighters have recovered the bodies of mercenaries killed during a fierce battle in Mali in July. The confrontation, which occurred amid a desert sandstorm, involved clashes with Tuareg rebels and Islamist groups.
Mali has been grappling with a prolonged Islamist insurgency, a situation exacerbated by military coups in 2020 and 2021. The unrest originated from a Tuareg separatist rebellion in the northern regions of the Sahel country. Wagner reported heavy casualties during the July battle while collaborating with Malian armed forces but had previously shared few specifics regarding the incident.
In a rare statement released on Telegram, Wagner stated, “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.” This acknowledgment highlights the significant risks faced by Russian mercenaries engaged in conflicts alongside military juntas struggling to counter separatist movements and the growing influence of Islamist factions affiliated with groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS across the Sahel, particularly in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
In response, Mali’s army also confirmed that it had recovered the remains of its soldiers from the location of the July ambush. However, a spokesperson for the Tuareg rebels contested Wagner’s assertion about reclaiming their fighters’ bodies. Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, representing the Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security, and Development, stated on social media, “It’s not true; there are no Wagner bodies there.” He added that the rebels had removed the bodies shortly after the battle.
The conflicting narratives surrounding the events in Mali reflect a pattern of disinformation and differing accounts from both sides. Just last week, Wagner claimed that two of its fighters captured in Mali had died, while the rebels maintained that both individuals were still alive.
Wagner emphasized in its statement that its fighters had traversed a desert area near Tinzaouaten, where they encountered numerous militants from the Azawad region. The group reiterated its commitment to recovering its personnel, declaring, “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.”