“If the Russian mercenaries leave, we will return home”: In Mauritania, Mosso*, a Malian refugee, voiced his yearning to go back to his homeland following significant attacks in late April against the Malian army and its Russian allies from Africa Corps. These coordinated assaults, executed by the separatist Front de libération de l’Azawad (FLA) and the jihadist Groupe de soutien à l’islam et aux musulmans (Jnim, linked to Al-Qaïda), dealt an unprecedented blow to Mali’s ruling junta, which seized power in a 2020 coup, even leading to the death of the Defense Minister.
In Fassala, a Mauritanian locality situated at the Malian border, the actions of Russian paramilitaries have left a lasting, painful impression on many refugees. Here, they are still referred to as “Wagner,” the original name of the Russian private military company – now known as “Africa Corps” – that supports the Malian army in its anti-jihadist efforts since the departure of French forces.
“Goïta brought Wagner here”
Under the scorching heat of a Sahelian desert tent, Mosso* expressed his desire for the “fall of (Assimi) Goïta,” the head of the Malian junta, asserting that “he is the one who brought Wagner to our country.” This 57-year-old nomadic Tuareg herder, with a long white beard, fled the Mopti region in central Mali three weeks ago when white men, whom he identified as Russian paramilitaries, arrived at his encampment and abducted men. He recounted the tragic loss of his own brother, killed by Russians a year ago, witnessed by his then 14-year-old son.
Across Mali, numerous civilians, often accused of collaborating with opposing factions, frequently endure reprisals and abuses at the hands of the army and its Russian auxiliaries, or by jihadist groups. On April 20, three civil society organizations, including the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), filed a complaint with the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (CADHP) concerning alleged violations committed in Mali, implicating both the Malian armed forces and the Wagner group.
The recent images of a Russian convoy departing Kidal, a strategically vital city in northern Mali that came under Tuareg rebel control in late April, sparked cautious optimism among many refugees that the paramilitaries might be leaving their country. Like Mosso, approximately 300,000 Malians have sought sanctuary in Mauritania’s Hodh Chargui region since the conflict began in 2012.
The FLA and Jnim alliance under scrutiny
Roughly fifty kilometers from the border, the Mbera camp currently hosts 120,000 refugees who have escaped the multi-faceted violence perpetrated by all belligerents: jihadists, the Malian army, Russian mercenaries, and various community groups. Wandering through 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 wish for the current military rulers to fall, believing they “brought all the problems to the country.” This Tuareg refugee stated, “It is because of Wagner that everyone came here,” explaining his flight from the “amalgamation” created by the Malian army and their Russian allies.
With a kind gaze and a face weathered by the sun, Abdallah*, a 77-year-old Tuareg refugee, expressed no joy regarding the recent rebel offensive. “I am far from happy that the FLA has retaken Kidal,” he confided. In his view, the alliance between the FLA and the jihadists is a profound mistake: “For me, Jnim is a terrorist movement. Their objectives do not align at all with our ideology as moderate, pacifist Muslims.”
The blockades imposed by Jnim jihadists on Malian localities since last October have triggered a new wave of refugee arrivals in the region, numbering nearly 14,000 individuals, predominantly women and children, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR).
Concerns over new refugee influx
The recent hostilities in Mali have raised fears among humanitarian organizations of a fresh surge of refugees into this arid region, where access to vital resources is already strained. “We are closely monitoring the evolving situation with great attention and profound concern,” emphasized Omar Doukali, HCR spokesperson in Mauritania.
In the Sahel, which 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, mayor of Fassala. His commune alone hosts 70,000 refugees, and he expressed deep worry about the intensifying conflict in neighboring Mali.
The situation remains more uncertain than ever. The FLA has declared its intention to conquer major cities in northern Mali and predicted the downfall of the ruling junta in the face of its offensive. Tilleli*, 22, holding her one-year-old daughter, recounted her escape from Mali a month ago after Russians and the army plundered and burned her village in the Mopti region (center): “I can only return home after Wagner leaves my country,” she affirmed. “I don’t have hope that peace will come anytime soon,” the young mother whispered.
