Russian Wagner Mercenaries helping Mali army kill civilians, rights groups say

The Russian mercenary group – Wagner - is helping government forces in central and northern Mali carry outraids and drone strikes killing scores of civilians, rights groups said in reports published this week.

Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, the ruling military juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russia's mercenary units for security assistance instead.

The juntas ruling Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso earlier this month announced a joint security force to fight the worsening extremist violence in their Sahel region.