The June 6 announcement by the infamous Wagner Group private military company that it will end its three-and-a-half-year-long deployment in Mali is an important development in Russia’s evolving mercenary landscape. Even as one Russian mercenary group is leaving, the country’s presence in Africa is not going anywhere.

The Kremlin seized control of Wagner’s operations, most notably in Africa, following the dramatic events of 2023.  After its short-lived rebellion against Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose Kremlin was probably responsible for Yevgeny Prigozhin's death in a private plane crash, something had to be done about the organization that remained.

Wagner was essentially restructured into a new entity called the Africa Corps. So, despite Wagner’s announced departure from Mali, it is unclear whether any Russian mercenaries will actually leave the country. There is a chance they will sign new contracts with the Africa Corps instead.

The Africa Corps sits under the direct control of the Russian Defense Ministry. This reduces the risk that the mercenaries might buck Moscow’s interests, but it also creates new vulnerabilities. Moscow is now directly and publicly responsible for the Africa Corps’ actions, including its human rights abuses, failures and destabilizing client countries. By bringing its functions inside the house, Russia has lost the plausible deniability that the Wagner Group gave it.

Russian mercenaries currently have a clear presence in six African countries, though not all client states have been transitioned to the Africa........

© The Moscow Times