“If the Russian mercenaries depart, we will return home.” This sentiment, shared by Mosso*, a Malian refugee in Mauritania, encapsulates the fragile hope for repatriation following significant attacks in late April against the Malian army and its Russian allies from Africa Corps. These coordinated assaults, executed by the Front de libération de l’Azawad (FLA) separatists and jihadists from the Groupe de soutien à l’islam et aux musulmans (Jnim, affiliated with Al-Qaeda), dealt an unprecedented blow to Mali’s ruling junta, in power since a 2020 coup, even claiming the life of the Defense Minister.
In Fassala, a Mauritanian locality bordering Mali, the actions of Russian paramilitaries have left a deep scar on the memories of many refugees. Here, they are still referred to as “Wagner,” the name of the private Russian military company—now known as “Africa Corps”—that has been supporting the Malian army in its counter-jihadist efforts since the departure of French forces.
goïta’s role in bringing russian forces to Mali
Seated under a makeshift tent, seeking refuge from the desert’s relentless heat, Mosso* expressed his fervent wish for the “fall of (Assimi) Goïta,” the head of the Malian junta. “He is the one who brought Wagner to our land,” he declared. This 57-year-old nomadic Tuareg herder, with a long white beard, fled the Mopti region in central Mali just three weeks ago after white men, whom he identified as Russian paramilitaries, arrived at his encampment and abducted several men. He recounted the tragic death of his own brother, killed by Russians a year prior, witnessed by his then 14-year-old son.
Across Mali, numerous civilians, often accused of collaborating with opposing factions, frequently suffer reprisals and abuses at the hands of the army and its Russian auxiliaries, or from jihadist groups. On April 20, three civil society organizations, including the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), lodged a complaint with the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights (CADHP) concerning alleged violations committed in Mali, implicating both the Malian armed forces and the Wagner group.
The circulation of images depicting a Russian convoy departing Kidal, a strategic northern Malian city that fell under Tuareg rebel control in late April, has ignited a cautious glimmer of hope among many refugees that these paramilitaries might soon leave their homeland. Like Mosso, approximately 300,000 Malians have sought refuge in Mauritania’s Hodh Chargui region since the conflict first erupted in 2012.
questioning the fla and jnim alliance
About fifty kilometers from the border, the Mbera camp currently shelters 120,000 refugees who have escaped violence perpetrated by all sides: jihadists, the Malian army, Russian mercenaries, and various communal groups. Within the sandy pathways of the camp, Ahmed*, 35, voiced his hope for “the return of peace and to go back to my country.” He, too, articulated a desire for the military rulers to fall, asserting that they “brought all the problems to the country.” He firmly believes, “It is because of Wagner that everyone came here,” explaining that he, a Tuareg, sought to escape the “conflation” made by the Malian army and their Russian auxiliaries.
Abdallah*, a 77-year-old Tuareg refugee with a kind gaze and sun-weathered skin, did not rejoice at the recent rebel offensive. “I am far from pleased that the FLA retook Kidal,” he confided. In his view, the alliance between the FLA and jihadists is a profound error: “For me, Jnim is a terrorist movement. Their objectives are entirely incompatible with our ideology as moderate, pacifist Muslims.”
The blockades imposed by Jnim jihadists on Malian localities since last October have triggered a fresh wave of refugee arrivals in the region, displacing nearly 14,000 people, predominantly women and children, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR).
concerns over new refugee influx
Recent hostilities in Mali have led humanitarian organizations to fear a new surge of refugees into this arid region, where access to vital resources is already strained. Omar Doukali, spokesperson for the HCR in Mauritania, emphasized, “We are monitoring the evolving situation with keen attention and deep concern.”
In a Sahel region that has become a global epicenter of jihadist violence, Mauritania, a vast desert nation of 5.5 million inhabitants, stands out for its remarkable stability. However, the presence of over 300,000 Malian refugees creates significant pressure “on pastures, water resources, and all basic services, including health,” noted Cheikhna Ould Abdallahi, the mayor of Fassala. His commune hosts 70,000 refugees, and he expressed deep apprehension about the intensifying clashes in neighboring Mali.
The situation remains profoundly uncertain. The FLA has declared its intention to conquer major cities in northern Mali and anticipates the fall of the ruling junta in the face of its offensive. Tilleli*, 22, holding her one-year-old daughter, recounted her flight from Mali a month ago when Russians and the army looted and burned her village in the central Mopti region: “I can only return home after Wagner leaves my country,” she affirmed. “I have no hope that peace will come anytime soon,” the young mother sighed.
