Global Issues
Russia's African gambit backfires as mercenary presence deepens regional turmoil
The presence of Moscow's Africa Corps has been defined by brutality, corruption and the entrenchment of autocratic rule, a report finds.
![A fighter loyal to Sudan's army patrols a bombed-out market area in Khartoum on March 24. For nearly two years, Sudan has been ravaged by a war between the regular army and the RSF, a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people. Russia's growing presence in Africa, driven by its quasi-private military companies, has deepened instability in Sudan and other countries in the Sahel region. [AFP]](/gc7/images/2025/04/02/49823-sahel-370_237.webp)
Zarak Khan |
Russia's growing presence in Africa, driven by its quasi-private military companies, has deepened instability rather than alleviated it, according to recent studies and experts.
At the heart of Russia's strategy in the region is the deployment of paramilitary forces, most notably the infamous Wagner Group and the Africa Corps, a successor organization subordinate to Russia's Defense Ministry.
Their presence has been defined by brutality, corruption and the entrenchment of autocratic rule as they prop up military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, an analysis in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs said.
"Wagner's model promised unconditional security assistance, insulating military elites from domestic opposition and international pressure, while simultaneously advancing Russia's own interests: resource extraction, political influence, and great power posturing," the assessment noted.
This approach has proven to be largely exploitative.
"Far from mitigating violence, Wagner's operations often intensified conflict dynamics, exacerbated human rights abuses, and undermined local governance," the paper found.
Following Wagner's quasi-dissolution, the Africa Corps has assumed a similar role, continuing Moscow's opportunistic engagement in the Sahel.
Rather than bringing stability, its presence has led the region to become even more volatile.
The Sahel remains the epicenter of terrorism, accounting for over half of all global terrorism deaths, according to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2025, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace this month.
Burkina Faso is now the world's most terrorism-impacted country -- marking the first time a nation other than Afghanistan or Iraq has topped the GTI -- with nearly 2,000 killed there alone in 2024.
Violence is also surging in Mali and Niger.
The Africa Corps has proven largely ineffective in countering the escalating jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso and Niger where militant groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) continue to expand their operations, pushing further south and east from Mali.
Violence surges
Even so, the Africa Corps has positioned itself as the main security partner for the newly formed Alliance of Sahel States -- a coalition of Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali after their respective coups, the report said.
Yet, by supporting Sahelian militaries accused of mass human rights violations, including the summary execution of hundreds of civilians, Russia's approach is fueling instability and driving jihadist recruitment.
For example, violence has surged since Wagner forces arrived in Mali in 2021, promising the country's military junta a decisive counterterrorism solution.
According to analysts from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), between August 2023 and August 2024, incidents involving Russian mercenaries increased by 81%, while reported fatalities rose by 65%.
In July 2024, the Wagner Group and Malian forces suffered a devastating defeat when Tuareg ethnic separatist rebels and al-Qaeda-linked militants launched coordinated attacks in the Tinzaouaten desert, a northeastern town on the border with Algeria.
Several dozen Russian mercenaries were reportedly killed or captured by the rebel coalition, Deutsche Welle reported.
Local experts have also warned that the presence of Russian mercenaries was exacerbating existing conflicts rather than resolving them.
"Russian military companies are deeply involved in criminal activities, ranging from the indiscriminate use of violence against civilians to large-scale smuggling of natural resources such as gold and diamonds," Mahamadou Youssouf, a Bamako-based researcher covering the conflict in the region, told Global Watch.
He said that al-Qaeda-linked militants and Tuareg ethnic separatists are gaining strength by exploiting growing anti-Russian sentiment among the local population, fueled by the mercenaries' illicit activities.