Tag

Wagner Group

All articles tagged with #wagner group

international-conflict12 days ago•3 min saved

Former Wagner Fighter Details Alleged Use of Live Prisoners for Training in Mali

A former Russian mercenary captured by Ukraine has alleged that Wagner Group personnel in Mali used live African prisoners to practice battlefield medicine and killing techniques. The account, detailed in interviews with Ukrainian media, describes horrific training sessions where prisoners were deliberately maimed or killed. These allegations are corroborated by a new Amnesty International report documenting widespread war crimes by Malian forces and Russian mercenaries, including torture and unlawful killings of civilians. The testimony highlights the brutal methods allegedly employed by Russian forces in Africa, even as the group’s structure shifted from Wagner to the state-controlled Africa Corps.

via Daily Kos|

#africa-corps #international-conflict #mali

international13 days ago•1 min saved

Captured Russian Mercenary Alleges Wagner Used Live Prisoners for Medical and Lethal Training in Mali

A former Wagner fighter captured by Ukraine alleges that Russian mercenaries in Mali used captured Africans as live subjects for training. The account describes deliberate injuries, such as blowing off legs with explosives and chopping limbs with axes, to practice battlefield medicine and killing techniques. All three victims reportedly died. While unverified, the testimony aligns with broader reports of severe abuses by Russian forces in the region.

via Euromaidan Press|

#human-rights #international #mali

world-news4 months ago•77 min saved

Iranian asylum seeker deported to Central African Republic sparks concern

An Iranian woman is reported to be among migrants deported from the United States to the Central African Republic. U.S. officials declined to comment on future removals, and ICE did not immediately respond. The CAR is described as war-torn and impoverished, with Russian Wagner mercenaries playing a security role; Iran’s influence in CAR is noted by advocates, as the story contextualizes Moscow’s ties and regional geopolitics, per AP reporting from Dakar.

via AP News|

#central-african-republic #deportation #immigration

world5 months ago•7 min saved

Mali’s Crisis: Who’s Leading on All Sides

An explainer of Mali’s security crisis: the state, led by Assimi Goita with Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maiga, faces a patchwork of armed groups (JNIM, ISSP, FLA) and Russian-backed forces. Following the killing of Defence Minister Sadio Camara, leaders such as Iyad Ag Ghaly and Amadou Khoufa (JNIM), Alghabass Ag Intalla and Bilal Ag Cherif (FLA), and Abu al-Bara al-Sahrawi (ISSP) compete for control, while Russia’s Africa Corps under generals Andrey Averyanov and Vladimir Selivyorstov supports the Malian army. The conflict centers on northern towns like Kidal, Gao, Timbuktu and Menaka, with Mali steering toward closer ties with Russia and away from France/ECOWAS.

via Al Jazeera|

#assimi-goita #fla-tuareg #jnim

africa5 months ago•11 min saved

Mali's Moscow-backed junta pressed as insurgent coalition tests regime stability

A coordinated push by Tuareg rebels (FLA) and al Qaeda–linked jihadists (JNIM) targets Mali’s capital region, killing defence minister Sadio Camara and forcing a major setback with the seizure of Kidal, exposing the fragility of the Moscow-backed junta and the limits of Russia’s influence as mercenaries withdraw, signaling a protracted Sahel insurgency and complicating Western options.

via France 24|

#africa #al-qaeda #islamism

world-news5 months ago•73 min saved

Militant-separatist coalition launches Mali’s largest attack in over a decade

A coalition of Al-Qaida–linked militants and local separatists carried out a coordinated attack in Mali—the largest such assault in more than ten years—highlighting ongoing instability, the Mali government’s struggle to contain the violence, and attention on international actors like the Wagner Group involved in the region.

via AP News|

#al-qaida #mali #mali-government

world11 months ago•3 min saved

UK sentences men for Russia-linked arson attacks in London

A Leicestershire drug dealer, Dylan Earl, pleaded guilty to orchestrating a campaign of terrorism and sabotage in the UK in support of Russia, including arson attacks on a warehouse bound for Ukraine and efforts to gather intelligence for the Wagner Group, with sentencing scheduled at the Old Bailey.

via BBC|

#arson #russia #terrorism

world1 year ago•5 min saved

Russia's Strategic Shift in Africa: From Mercenaries to Influence

Russia's attempt to expand influence in Mali through Wagner mercenaries has largely failed to improve security, with increased violence, internal tensions, and public disillusionment, leading Mali to consider diversifying its international partnerships beyond Russia.

via The Economist|

#african-security #geopolitics #mali

world1 year ago•9 min saved

Wagner Group Operatives Convicted of Arson Attacks on Ukraine-Linked London Sites

Small-time criminals in London were hired to set fire to a warehouse linked to Ukraine communications, with connections to Russia's Wagner Group, highlighting covert Russian efforts to sow chaos in the UK and support their interests in Ukraine. Several individuals involved have been convicted, revealing a broader strategy of sabotage and destabilization.

via BBC|

#london-warehouse-arson #mercenary-involvement #russia-ukraine-conflict

world1 year ago•1 min saved

Russia's Wagner Group Withdraws from Mali After Mission Completion

The Wagner Group is leaving Mali after over three years of fighting Islamist insurgents, but Russia's presence remains through the Africa Corps, a paramilitary force also under Russian control, which will continue operations in the country.

via dw.com|

#africa-corps #mali #mercenaries

world1 year ago•2 min saved

Wagner Group Withdraws from Mali After Mission Completion

The Wagner Group announced its withdrawal from Mali after claiming to have completed its main mission in fighting terrorism, amid ongoing militant attacks and increased insecurity in the region. Despite their departure, Russian influence in Mali and the broader Sahel region is expected to continue through other forces like Africa Corps, with the situation raising questions about the effectiveness of Wagner's operations.

via BBC|

#insurgency #mali #military

world-news1 year ago•3 min saved

Returning Russian Soldiers Spread Wartime Violence at Home

The return of Russian soldiers from the war in Ukraine has led to a surge in violent crimes within Russia, with many veterans feeling above the law due to their wartime service. Independent reports estimate hundreds of Russians have been killed or injured by these returning soldiers, many of whom were recruited from prisons. The Russian government and media have hailed these soldiers as heroes, contributing to a culture of impunity and rising crime rates. Sociologists warn that this trend is normalizing violence in Russian society.

via BBC.com|

#crime #military #russia

international-relations2 years ago•5 min saved

US Imposes Sanctions on Entities Linked to Russian Malign Activities in Africa

The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned two companies, one in Russia and one in the Central African Republic (CAR), for their involvement in advancing Russia's malign activities in CAR. The sanctioned companies have played a significant role in supporting the Private Military Company 'Wagner' and the activities of the Russian Federation in Africa, particularly through illicit natural resource extraction and financial support. The Wagner Group, a proxy military force of the Kremlin, has been involved in widespread human rights abuses and appropriation of natural resources across multiple African countries. The sanctions aim to disrupt the networks enabling Russia's illicit and destabilizing activities in Africa.

via Treasury|

#africa #international-relations #malign-activities

international-relations2 years ago•2 min saved

"Putin's New Africa Mercenary Group: Fate of Wagner Remnants Revealed"

Former fighters from the Wagner Group, a notorious mercenary organization, are being absorbed into Russia's national guard, Rosgvardia, and may be deployed to Ukraine and Africa, according to Western intelligence. This move indicates Moscow's increasing control over the Wagner group and its expansion of influence in these regions. Rosgvardia, often referred to as Russian President Vladimir Putin's "private army," has been granted heavy weaponry and is establishing a presence in Russian-held regions of Ukraine, allowing Russia to exert control without relying on front-line troops. This development marks the latest chapter in Wagner's downfall, as it transitions from an independent force to being subsumed by the Russian state, with a new military formation called the Africa Corps attempting to recruit former Wagner mercenaries for combat operations across the continent.

via Business Insider|

#international-relations #national-guard #rosgvardia

conflict-and-war2 years ago•17 min saved

"Ukraine's Struggle for Victory: Battling for Territory and Support into 2024"

Throughout 2023, Ukraine faced a series of grueling battles against Russian forces, characterized by attrition warfare and tactical innovation. The defense of Bakhmut became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance, despite heavy losses on both sides. Ukraine's counteroffensive in Zaporizhzhia aimed to cut Russian supply lines but faced immense challenges due to well-fortified Russian defenses and a lack of critical military supplies. Meanwhile, Russia regained the initiative in Donbas with a costly but politically motivated assault on Avdiivka. The year ended with uncertainty for Ukraine, as they held on to hope for continued Western support and the possibility of launching a successful crossing of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast.

via Kyiv Independent|

#battle-of-bakhmut #conflict-and-war #russia