U.N. ENDS PEACE MISSION IN MALI: WHAT’S NEXT WITH WAGNER GROUP?

The U.N. Security Council has voted unanimously to immediately end its peacekeeping operation in Mali, a decision that must have been inspired by Russia. The United States blamed Prigozhin for contributing to the termination of the U.N. mission. At the same time, the question is whether Prigozhin’s aborted mutiny in Russia might affect the group’s presence in Mali and other African countries.

The United Nations Security Council voted to end the decade-long peacekeeping mission in Mali MINUSMA as the country’s ruling military junta requested the departure of the 13,000-strong force “without delay” by the end of this year. “What is not as widely known is that Prigozhin helped engineer that departure to further Wagner’s interests,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters. “We know that senior Malian officials worked directly with Prigozhin employees to inform the U.N. secretary-general that Mali had revoked consent for the MINUSMA mission.”

The United States thus blamed Prigozhin for contributing to the termination of the UN mission. The security situation could worsen when the mission departs. Earlier, Mali’s military-led government had asked the French contingent stationed in the country to leave. Instead, in December 2021, the junta rallied behind Russia and brought in the paramilitary Wagner Group to meet its security needs. Since that time, the situation has worsened as Islamic fighters having links to al-Qaeda or what is known as the Islamic State deal serious blows to Mali’s underequipped army. They control large swathes of land in northern and central Mali. Wagner did in fact nothing to support the junta. The United States said it has information indicating Mali’s authorities have paid more than $200 million to Wagner. After Wagner’s mutiny in Russia, authorities

30 June 2023 in Bamako are uncertain about the future of Russian mercenaries in the country. Senior Russian officials have reportedly rushed to reassure the military junta where Wagner mercenaries operate that Moscow will keep them under control and continue to support the country. Russian foreign ministry officials spoke to leaders of Mali to assure Russia’s partners in Africa and the Middle East that Wagner operations there would continue without interruption, The Wall Street Journal reported. The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on four companies linked to the Russian private mercenary group Wagner and its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, that it said are active in illicit gold mining and trade. The individual targeted is Andrei Ivanov, who Treasury said worked with officials of the government of Mali on weapons deals, mining projects, and other Wagner group activities in Mali. ■