French minister accuses Russian mercenaries of ‘despoiling’ Mali
Tensions have increased between Paris and the country’s military junta in recent weeks, including over the fate of European forces deployed in the region to fight jihadists.
FranceFrance’s foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian Sunday accused Russian private military company Wagner of plundering Mali’s resources, reports the Nigerian Guardian.
Tensions have increased between Paris and the country’s military junta in recent weeks, including over the fate of European forces deployed in the region to fight jihadists.
The US army last week estimated hundreds of Wagner personnel were in the Sahel state, but the country’s ruling army have said this is not true.
The Wagner mercenaries are “former Russian soldiers, armed by Russia and accompanied by Russian logistics”, Le Drian said.
“They are already at the moment using the country’s resources in exchange for protecting the junta. They are despoiling Mali,” he told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper.
