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UNCOVERED: Africa corps - Caught on Camera

Mali rebels attack convoy of Russian reinforcements headed to besieged military camp

Tuareg separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front and their jihadist allies attacked a convoy of Russian soldiers and Malian troops Thursday as they were en route to reinforce a military camp in the northern town of Anefis.

France 24

Rebels seize key town of Anéfis as they tighten grip on northern Mali

Tuareg separatists and al-Qaeda affiliates appear to have secured control of a key town in northern Mali following a coordinated offensive by the rebels over the weekend. The Malian army and Russian mercenaries have been holed up in the key camp of Anéfis after the rebels launched their offensive on…

Radio France Internationale

Unprecedented images show how Russia is using drones from the war in Ukraine in Africa

Russian mercenaries from the Africa Corps, which has replaced the well-known Wagner Group in providing support to the Malian army, are deploying new combat drones in Mali. Frequently found on the frontlines in Ukraine, these drones are now entering the Sahel region – an environment for which they were not…

France 24

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Mali's war on civilians deepens as alliances shift, HRW says

Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the army, allied militias and Islamist armed groups have all committed abuses with impunity since the attacks in northern Mali in April.

Radio France Internationale

Moscow uses 'Russian Houses' in Africa to lure recruits into war in Ukraine, investigation shows

Ukrainian military intelligence has revealed that Russia's expanding network of "Russian Houses" functions as a recruitment pipeline for its war, luring young Africans with promises of education and jobs before some are sent to the front lines or into drone factories.

Euronews

Mali’s military leader is consolidating power. Why this is dangerous

Malian officials announced on 4 May 2026 that junta leader General Assimi Goïta would take on the post of defence minister after the killing of General Sadio Camara a week earlier.

The Conversation

Curfews, conspiracy theories … and a cancelled concert: Mali’s capital tries to shrug off violence on its doorstep

Surprise coordinated attack by jihadists and separatists last weekend has rattled the regime and its security ally Russia

The Guardian - UK

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Russia claims its Africa Corps group prevented coup in Mali after rebels seize towns

Kremlin-controlled paramilitaries also alleged it inflicted ‘irreplaceable losses’ on insurgents avoiding civilian casualties

The Guardian - UK

What to know about the largest coordinated attack in Mali in over a decade

An alliance of al-Qaida-linked fighters and separatists has launched the largest coordinated attack in over a decade in Mali

The Independent UK

Mali’s militant attacks expose limits of Putin’s power in Africa

Russian backing for the ruling junta has not stopped rebel fighters striking significant blows in recent days

The Guardian - UK

Mali plunged into uncertainty following coordinated attacks on junta

Mali is facing its most serious security crisis since 2012 following coordinated weekend attacks by jihadists and Tuareg separatists on army positions near the capital Bamako and in the north of the country. Analysts say this could be a turning point for the junta in power since a 2020 coup.

Radio France Internationale

Mali in turmoil after insurgents seize towns and kill defence minister

Military intelligence chief reportedly also killed in sweeping attacks by jihadists and separatist rebels

The Guardian - UK

Russia says its Africa Corps has freed Russian and Ukrainian citizens abducted in Niger

Russia's Africa Corps has freed a Russian citizen and a Ukrainian abducted by an al-Qaida affiliate in Niger

The Independent UK

US looks to revitalise relations with Mali with envoy visit to Bamako

Nick Checker, head of the US State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, visited Mali on Monday, calling for renewed economic and security cooperation between Washington and Bamako.

Radio France Internationale

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The Independent UK

Takeaways from AP report on sexual violence in Mali

Multiple women have told The Associated Press they survived or witnessed alleged rapes and other sexual assaults committed by a new Russian military unit in Mali

The Independent UK

PHOTO ESSAY: Refugees flee Mali as region is the world's deadliest for extremism

A makeshift village in the Mauritanian desert shelters thousands of refugees who have fled Mali in recent weeks as fighting intensifies against militants linked to al-Qaida.

The Independent UK

Women fleeing Mali's conflict say they were sexually assaulted but silence hides many more

Women and girls from Mali are alleging rape and sexual assault by Russian fighters with Africa Corps, a new military unit under Moscow's control

The Independent UK

Takeaways from AP's investigation into Russia's Africa Corps in Mali

Refugees from Mali have told The Associated Press that a new Russian military unit, Africa Corps, is committing abuses like rapes and beheadings

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The Independent UK

As Russia's Africa Corps fights in Mali, witnesses describe atrocities from beheadings to rapes

The Associated Press has spoken to over 30 refugees from Mali who say they witnessed beheadings, rapes and other abuses committed by Africa Corps, a new military unit under Russia's direct command

Radio France Internationale

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger jointly announce withdrawal from the ICC

The three member states of the Alliance of Sahel States have announced their immediate withdrawal from the Rome Statute and the International Criminal Court, accusing the ICC of practising “selective justice”. The declaration was made simultaneously on Monday in the capitals of Bamako, Niamey and Ouagadougou.

Radio France Internationale

How Moscow is reinventing its influence machine across Africa

Russian operatives are using new tactics to expand Moscow’s reach in Africa, two years after the death of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin. An investigation led by RFI and the monitoring group All Eyes on Wagner shows influence campaigns remain active from Angola to Chad.

The Independent UK

Russia asks Central African Republic to replace Wagner with state-run Africa Corps and pay for it

Officials in the Central African Republic have said that Russia has called on the country to replace the private Wagner mercenary group with Moscow’s state-run Africa Corps and requested payment for further security services

Radio France Internationale

Sahel countries navigate uncertainty following split from Ecowas bloc

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso face the task of untangling themselves from West Africa’s main regional bloc, Ecowas, after officially cutting ties this week. The six-month window to reverse their withdrawal expired on Tuesday. With no sign of a return, both sides must work out what the split means for…

Radio France Internationale

Malian army and Wagner Group abduct and execute Fulani civilians, NGO claims

Mali’s armed forces and the allied Russia-backed Wagner Group have committed dozens of summary executions and enforced disappearances of ethnic Fulani men since January 2025, according to a report by the NGO Human Rights Watch.

Radio France Internationale

Libya's Al-Khadim airbase becomes a hub for Russian arms in the Sahel

Amid renewed relations with Libya, Russia is relying on the Al-Khadim base near Benghazi to strengthen its military presence in the Sahel region of Africa. RFI journalists were able to trace the itinerary of a Russian cargo plane from Syria to Libya, one of many flights operating on this route.

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