Tuareg rebels say they have killed or captured dozens of mercenaries from Russia’s Africa Corps, the former Wagner Group, in northern Mali.

The mercenaries wanted to occupy a place near the border with Algeria with Malian soldiers. The army has been working with the African Legion in the fight against the Tuareg and other rebel groups since 2021. The Tuareg are also said to have seized armoured vehicles, goods and transporters.

Pictures and images of a battle in the desert and a battlefield with burning military vehicles are circulating on social media. Dead and wounded soldiers with white skin can also be seen. They are forced to say “Allahu Akbar”. The battle is said to have lasted for several days.

Russian military bloggers who have contacts with the mercenaries also reported the defeat. Their reports of Russian casualties range from twenty to more than eighty. More than fifteen Russians are said to have been captured.

The Tuareg say seven of their fighters were killed and 12 wounded. Some Malian soldiers have fled, the Tuareg say. The Malian army acknowledges the withdrawal of its soldiers, but says they will continue fighting.

Russian mercenaries have been fighting alongside the Malian army since 2021 against Islamist terrorists and Tuareg independence fighters. Former Wagner mercenaries are also active in other West African countries. According to the German Press Agency, this is the largest defeat of mercenaries in West Africa to date.

The Tuareg are a nomadic people whose homeland extends across several countries in North Africa. In Mali, they are striving to establish their own independent state in the north-east of the country.