Africa: In Mali, From the Wagner Group to Africa Corps - Will Impunity Continue?

What the report says

Amnesty International says abuses against civilians in Mali have continued as Russian-linked forces changed from Wagner Group to Africa Corps. In a report distributed by AllAfrica and dated 14 October 2026, the organization says Africa Corps began operating in Mali in June 2025, after deployments started earlier that year, and gradually took over support for Malian army operations. The report argues that the transition has not brought accountability or improved civilian protection.

The account describes alleged serious violations during joint army and Wagner patrols between 2023 and 2025, including seven incidents in which civilians were deliberately killed. It also cites deadly drone strikes in Ejdeir and Tangata in 2025, as well as torture and ill-treatment in military camps in Léré and Nampala. Amnesty says many victims were from Fulani, Tuareg and Arab communities along the Mauritanian border, where people are often suspected of links to armed groups.

According to the report, detainees faced beatings, electric shocks, simulated drowning, sexual violence and prolonged incommunicado detention. It says some abuses were carried out by Wagner members with the knowledge of the Malian armed forces, and that at least five people died from torture based on witness accounts.

The organization says impunity remains a major concern and that it is unaware of any legal proceedings over abuses by government forces since 2023. As background, Mali has faced a long-running conflict involving state forces, Islamist militants and other armed groups, making civilian protection and independent investigations central issues.