Dakar, Senegal – Tuareg rebels in northern Mali have not received any direct communication from Moscow regarding the fate of captured Wagner Group fighters, according to a rebel spokesperson.
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security, and Development (CSP), told Reuters that the prisoners are being treated well and that the rebels are open to negotiations.
The Tuareg rebels have claimed that at least 84 Wagner mercenaries and 47 Malian soldiers were killed in clashes near the town of Tinzaouaten, resulting in the capture of seven prisoners.
While third parties have contacted the rebels about the prisoners, none have been acting directly on behalf of the Russian government. The Russian foreign ministry and embassy in Mali have not responded to requests for comment on the matter.
Following the death of Wagner’s chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Kremlin has tightened its control over Wagner and other mercenary groups under the umbrella organization known as Africa Corps.
Both Mali and Wagner have remained silent on the number of casualties suffered in the clashes, although Wagner acknowledged heavy losses in a rare statement. The Malian army blamed bad weather for being surrounded and attacked in the area.
The Tuareg separatists have been fighting for an independent homeland called Azawad since 2012, their struggle intertwining with an al Qaeda-aligned Islamist rebellion.
Russia’s involvement in Mali began after the military seized power in two coups and ousted French and UN troops. Since then, Niger’s junta has also followed suit, aligning more closely with Russia.
Russia’s foreign ministry has recently expressed its efforts to free two geologists held hostage by an Al Qaeda affiliate in Niger.
