World news | The Guardian•Yesterday
Russia claims its Africa Corps group prevented coup in Mali after rebels seize towns
Russia’s defence ministry has claimed its Africa Corps – the successor to the former Wagner mercenary group – prevented a coup in Mali over the weekend, avoiding mass civilian casualties and inflicting “irreplaceable losses” on rebel insurgents. Rebel forces in Mali over the weekend drove the Africa Corps from Kidal, launched an attack near the capital, Bamako, and killed defence minister Sadio Camara – a key Moscow ally – in an apparent suicide bombing. About 2,000 Russian troops are deployed in landlocked Mali under the Africa Corps banner, the successor to the Wagner group across much of the continent.
