The Africa Corps, a Kremlin-controlled paramilitary force, said it would remain in Mali after the Russian mercenary group "Wagner" leaves the country after three and a half years of fighting Islamist militants, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
"Wagner" has been in Mali since the country's army, which seized power in two coups in 2020 and 2021, expelled French and UN troops involved in the fight against Islamist militants for a decade.
The Africa Corps was created with the support of the Russian Defense Ministry after the founder of "Wagner" Yevgeny Prigozhin and the group's commander Dmitry Utkin staged an unsuccessful rebellion against the Russian military leadership.
According to several Telegram channels used by Russian mercenaries, about 70%-80% of the African Corps personnel are former Wagner mercenaries, Reuters reports.
"Wagner" posted a statement on social media saying it was bringing its mercenaries home after the group's mission in Mali was successfully completed. It added that it had returned all regional centers in Mali to the control of the junta, pushed out Islamist forces and killed their commanders.
"Wagner" did not specify what its fighters would do in Russia.
The African Corps wrote on its Telegram channel that the departure of "Wagner" will not lead to any changes, as the Russian contingent will remain in Mali. "Russia is not giving up territory, but rather the opposite - it continues to support Bamako, now at a more fundamental level," the corps added.
The Malian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Reuters noted.
A series of attacks have taken place in Mali in recent weeks, with rebels killing more than 100 Malian soldiers and a number of mercenaries.
The "Jamaa Nusrat ul Islam wa al Muslimin" group claimed responsibility for the violence, including a bomb attack on Wednesday against Malian and Russian soldiers near Bamako.
According to Ulf Lassing of the German "Konrad Adenauer Foundation" The takeover of Russian operations in Mali by the African Corps means that the Russian military presence in the African country will remain, but the focus may shift more to training and providing equipment and less direct fighting with jihadists.
Russia is ready to support the comprehensive development of independent Abkhazia, including the expansion of its international ties, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the results of talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Abkhazian counterpart Oleg Bartsits, quoted by TASS and BTA.
“The Russian side confirmed its readiness to provide further support for the comprehensive development of independent Abkhazia and the expansion of its international ties“, the statement said.
The Foreign Ministry also said that during the detailed conversation, held in a traditional setting for Russian-Abkhaz allied relations In a friendly and trusting atmosphere, the two ministers discussed a wide range of issues on the bilateral agenda, as well as regional and international problems of mutual interest.
“The interlocutors highly appreciated the numerous joint projects in the security, socio-economic and humanitarian spheres implemented by order of the presidents of Russia and Abkhazia“, the Russian ministry wrote. “It was emphasized that the successful implementation of these initiatives contributes to the strengthening of friendship between the peoples and the increase of well-being in Abkhazia and the region“, the ministry added.
“The common goal of developing legally binding documents to avoid the use of force between Georgia, on the one hand, and Abkhazia and South Ossetia, on the other, was confirmed“, the statement added.