April 25, 2026

In Mali, jihadists carried out massive coordinated attacks. The Russian Ministry of Defense's "African Corps" is fighting on the side of the ruling junta

Armed terrorist groups carried out one of the largest coordinated attacks on Malian government forces in recent years. This is reported by BBC, Reuters, and Bloomberg. The Malian army stated that early on April 25, jihadists attacked several facilities and barracks in the capital, Bamako, and other settlements in the country. Eyewitnesses reported explosions and firefights around the Kati military base. There are reports of fighting in Gao and Kidal in the north and in Sevare in central Mali. Judging by social media footage and media reports, the jihadist group "Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin" (JNIM) and rebels from the Tuareg Liberation Front "Azawad" (FLA) are involved in the attacks. The militants claim to have taken control of several positions in Gao and Kidal. There is no independent confirmation of this. The Malian authorities, in turn, claim that the situation is under control, but the cleanup is ongoing. A representative of the Russian embassy stated that the Russian Ministry of Defense's "African Corps," which replaced PMC Wagner fighters in the country, is supporting government forces repelling militant attacks near the capital. The current incident is likely "the largest coordinated jihadist attack on Mali in recent years," said Ulf Laessing, head of the regional Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Mali. Mali is currently ruled by a military junta that seized power in a coup in 2020. To combat rebels, the military government hired Russian mercenaries from PMC Wagner, who were later replaced by the Russian Ministry of Defense's "African Corps." Bloomberg notes that despite Moscow's assistance, the situation in the country remains unstable and fragile. The Russian Ministry of Defense established the "African Corps" in early 2024, shortly after the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin. The paramilitary structure was created to protect Russian military and economic interests in African countries. A total of 20,000 people were included in the unit, including PMC Wagner fighters who had fought in Mali. The presence of mercenaries and political strategists from Russia, particularly those associated with the former head of PMC Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has been recorded in all African countries that have severed ties with France, reported "Russian BBC Service." In June 2025, PMC Wagner announced its withdrawal of troops from Mali. They stated that they had fulfilled their "main task" - "all regional capitals were returned under the control of the legitimate government." In this regard, the mercenaries are returning to Russia. Later, journalists reported on a network of prisons in Mali where torture was applied to local residents suspected of ties to jihadists or Tuareg separatists. In late December 2025, Associated Press, citing witnesses, reported that fighters of the Russian Ministry of Defense's "African Corps" are abducting, raping, and killing civilians in the country. According to expert estimates, at least five thousand civilians have been killed in Mali since 2023. Almost half of them died due to military attacks involving Russian mercenaries. However, the casualty figures are clearly understated - accurate counts are complicated by the territorial remoteness of some areas.