U.S. Warns Mali Against Accepting Deal To Deploy Russian Mercenaries

The United States has warned Mali against deploying Russia-backed Vagner Group forces, saying a reported deal between the country and the private military contractor would divert money away from efforts to fight terrorism and could ultimately destabilize the region.

Vagner Group forces “will not bring peace to Mali, but rather will destabilize the country further," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement on December 15.

Price described the United States as “alarmed” by the potential deployment of Vagner Group forces in Mali under the deal, which the statement says would cost $10 million per month.

The statement notes that Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a Russian businessman and close associate of President Vladimir Putin who is believed to run the Vagner Group, is sanctioned by the United States, Britain, and the European Union “in connection with his dealings with the Russian Federation's Ministry of Defense and his efforts to subvert U.S. democratic processes.”

Putin has said the Vagner Group does not represent the Russian state and is not paid by it. He has also said private military contractors have the right to work and pursue their interests anywhere in the world as long as they do not break Russian law.

Price said countries that have Vagner Group deployments within their borders "soon find themselves poorer, weaker, and less secure.”

He cited Libya, the Central African Republic (CAR), Ukraine, and Syria as examples. In these countries the Vagner Group "stoked conflict and increased insecurity and instability, causing the deaths of local soldiers and civilians and undermining national sovereignty -- all while depleting the national treasury and diverting essential resources that could have been used to build the capabilities of the countries’ own armed services.”

Price added that engaging the Vagner Group “could put at risk” the contributions of more than 20,000 international peacekeepers and troops who serve in Mali at no cost to the government.

In a separate move on December 15, the EU said it would suspend its training mission for soldiers in CAR because of fears the mission could get tied up in violations of international law by Russian mercenaries, including many with the Vagner Group.

The European Union Training Mission in Central African Republic (EUTM RCA) says its job has been complicated by the presence of hundreds of Russian operatives who have arrived since 2018 and have been working in close coordination with the army of the CAR.