NEWS
Horror in the Sahel as Russian Forces Accused of Rape, Beheadings and Organ Harvesting in Mali’s War on Extremism
By International Desk
Russian military units operating in Mali under the banner of the newly constituted Africa Corps are being accused of horrific war crimes, including rape, beheadings and the brutal extraction of victims’ organs, in what witnesses describe as an unrestrained and indiscriminate assault against civilians.
According to an extensive investigation by the Associated Press, Moscow’s Africa Corps, now acting as the replacement to the disbanded Wagner Group has allegedly engaged in the same atrocities that shadowed the mercenary body before its collapse. Wagner had widely been accused of grave human rights violations in several African states, and survivors say little has changed except the name.
Eyewitness accounts reveal a terrifying pattern of violence. Civilians are reportedly shot on sight, villages burned, and bodies found mutilated after alleged Russian operations. Two refugees recounted discovering the corpses of relatives with their liver and kidneys removed. Others accuse the soldiers of raping and beheading villagers during sweeps supposedly aimed at crushing extremist insurgents.
“It’s a scorched earth policy. The soldiers speak to no one. Anyone they see, they shoot. No questions, no warning. People don’t even know why they are being killed,” said a Malian village chief who fled the invading forces.
Another local witness described the transition from Wagner to Africa Corps, insisting nothing had changed except the label: “Only the name was changed [from Wagner to Africa Corps]. The clothes, the vehicles, the people stayed the same. The methods stayed the same, and even became worse.”
Mali is one of three Sahel nations alongside Burkina Faso and Niger that severed ties with Western allies and invited Moscow to help battle extremist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Russia’s foreign ministry has openly confirmed that the Africa Corps is operating “at the request of the Malian authorities,” though Malian officials refuse to publicly acknowledge the deployment.
The Telegraph recently reported that Russia has cemented itself as Mali’s principal security partner against jihadist factions seeking control of the embattled West African nation.
Following the death of Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin in a mysterious plane crash in 2023 after his mutiny against Vladimir Putin, analysts estimate that about 2,000 Africa Corps fighters are now stationed in Mali.
Among the victims is a mother identified as Mougaloa, who said masked “white men” killed her 20-year-old son after he was questioned by Malian soldiers. Months later, the same forces allegedly kidnapped her daughter Fatma.
“We were so scared,” she said. “We are hoping she will get here at some point.” She added that the men repeatedly referred to victims using the Russian slang “pes,” meaning “dog.”
Another woman, also named Fatma, recounted how her village of Kurmare was raid-looted last month. Men were reportedly killed while jewellery and valuables were seized. She later found her son shot dead in his shop, while her daughter died from seizures while fleeing toward Mauritania.
Civilian deaths attributed to Russians have reportedly decreased from 911 last year to 447 this year, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. However, analyst Heni Nsaibia warns these figures may be significantly understated because “people are more scared to report.”
The United Nations peacekeeping mission withdrew from Mali in 2023, and the state has since pulled out of the International Criminal Court, further limiting avenues for accountability.
UN independent expert Eduardo Gonzalez Cueva stated that Mali’s junta, which seized power in a 2021 coup, refused requests for his visit and ignored formal inquiries this year.
The Sahel remains the world’s deadliest hotspot for extremist violence, with thousands of lives lost in recent years. As frightened refugees flee their scorched villages, they warn that Russia’s presence intended to bring security has instead unleashed new terror. With Mali’s partnership with Moscow deepening and oversight mechanisms collapsing, victims of these alleged war crimes may have nowhere left to seek justice.