Russian Mercenaries in Mali: New Atrocities of the African Corps and Testimonies of Refugees.

According to ТСН: Russian mercenaries from the 'African Corps', operating under the auspices of the Russian Ministry of Defense, use the same methods as their predecessors from the Wagner PMC. In Mali, they burn villages, shoot at peaceful residents, and abduct women.

This information was provided by refugees from Mali. Journalists interviewed 34 refugees who fled to the border with Mauritania.

'The soldiers do not talk to anyone. They shoot anyone they see. No questions, no warnings. People don’t even know why they are being killed,' said one of the escapees.

Several refugees reported that their villages were burned, and they also found corpses with mutilated organs in areas where Russian mercenaries had passed.

Refugees also claim that the Russians seized food and valuables from the locals, beat and killed their relatives, whom they suspected of ties to jihadists, and abducted women.

'Only the name has changed. The clothes, the vehicles, the people remain the same. The methods have not changed and have even worsened,' said a refugee named Bokar.

According to experts, since 2023, when the UN peacekeeping mission left the African country, at least five thousand civilians have been killed in Mali. About half of them died as a result of military attacks, some of which involved Russian mercenaries.

The exact number of 'African Corps' fighters in Mali is difficult to establish. Analysts estimate the group’s size at around two thousand people. The Russian Ministry of Defense recruits mercenaries from Russia, Belarus, and African countries.

In response to a request from AP, the Russian Ministry of Defense did not provide a comment.

It should be noted that until recently, the Republic of Mali was almost the only part of the continent controlled by 'Wagnerites'. After the death of Wagner PMC leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, most of these mercenaries came under the full control of the Ministry of Defense and transitioned to the 'African Corps'.

The situation in Mali remains complicated, as locals face brutality and violence from mercenaries. The ongoing events raise serious concerns in the international community regarding security and the humanitarian situation in the region, where peacekeeping missions are no longer able to effectively fulfill their functions.