Russia's Wagner mercenaries suffer heavy loss fighting separatist rebels

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Russian-backed Wagner mercenary group has been a key actor in the West African country of Mali for more than two years. The group usually says very little about its controversial operations there. But in the last few days, in a rare statement, it said its forces suffered heavy losses fighting separatist rebels. That's a significant blow for the mercenary group. Mali's military government has relied on Russia to defeat a more than decadelong insurgency. But as NPR's Emmanuel Akinwotu reports, the violence there is getting worse.

EMMANUEL AKINWOTU, BYLINE: Graphic videos of the conflict in Mali.

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AKINWOTU: They were posted on Russian Telegram channels linked to Russian security and appear to show dozens of fighters dead in the desert near the Algerian border. Other fighters sit or kneel in the sand, alive, but held captive by rebels. For more than two years, a force of Wagner fighters have operated in the country.

It's a smaller force than the deeply unpopular French military presence it's replaced. But last week was one of its deadliest. It didn't share the death toll, but a Russian military analyst said at least 20 fighters died, while as many as 50 may have been killed, according to security experts.

ANDREW LEBOVICH: This is the highest death toll that I'm aware of for the Wagner Group in Africa.

AKINWOTU: Andrew Lebovich is a fellow at the Clingendael Institute, an international affairs think tank. Mali's government said two of its soldiers died in the attack but did not mention Wagner. Military leaders have never officially acknowledged that Wagner's fighters conduct operations alongside its army.

LEBOVICH: Despite the fact that the Wagner Group has been active and played a very important role in Mali, the Malian government has consistently refused to acknowledge that they are there.

AKINWOTU: But this attack shows how the reality is entirely different.

LEBOVICH: It's important because this shows how dependent they are on the Wagner Group for these operations.

AKINWOTU: Tuareg separatists from northern Mali and the Sahara launched a rebellion in 2012 that was later hijacked by Islamist groups at large across Mali. The violence has overwhelmed swathes of the country and the wider Sahel region. Mali's military government took over in a coup three years ago and promised to restore the country's sovereignty and security. But while Wagner has helped it regain some territory, it has come at a high price for many civilians. And the number of attacks by armed groups continue to rise.

Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR News, Lagos. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.