Private military companies from Russia, particularly the Wagner Group, began operations in Mali in 2021, supporting the local military junta that had seized power the previous year. As soon as Russian mercenaries established their positions, France, which had maintained a military presence in Mali for a long time, announced the withdrawal of its troops. From that moment, Wagner became the primary military partner of the Malian regime.

Amid these developments, the Kremlin expressed interest in the country’s gold deposits. However, Malian authorities have been reluctant to hand over control of such valuable resources to foreigners, despite the support provided by Russian mercenaries.

Following the death of the Wagner Group’s founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in 2023, the group came under the control of the Russian Ministry of Defence. This led to an expansion of their activities in the region. Russian fighters began operations in the north of the country, where significant gold reserves are controlled by local rebels. Together with the Malian army, Wagner is involved in capturing key territories, allowing them to profit from gold sales through intermediaries. These revenues, in turn, fuel the continued military activities of the group in other regions, such as Sudan.

However, the situation regarding gold mining in Mali remains tense. Local rebels resist foreign mercenaries, seeking to protect their lands and resources.

For Russia, Mali is viewed as an important foothold for long-term economic interests. In addition to gold, the Kremlin’s attention has turned to other strategic resources. Rosatom has already secured a license to develop lithium deposits and plans to construct a solar power plant.

Learn more in our extensive piece, published by our colleagues at The Moscow Times. The material is in Russian.