Mali Tuareg Rebels Report Major Clashes with Wagner Mercenaries and Army

The conflict in Mali's northern stretches has escalated with claims by the Tuareg rebels of inflicting heavy casualties on the Malian army and Wagner mercenaries in a series of confrontations. The Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security and Development (CSP-PSD), the rebel group, issued a statement that during a two-day battle, they killed and wounded dozens, capturing military equipment in the process near Tinzaouaten along the Algerian frontier.

The report comes shortly after Mali's military disclosed the death of two soldiers and the downing of 20 rebels in the same vicinity. The rebels have underscored their combat success by claiming to seize armoured vehicles, various trucks, and tankers, furthermore reporting damaging an army helicopter that subsequently crashed in Kidal, far from the initial fighting area.

The Malian military, contradicting some details, acknowledged the loss of two soldiers with an additional 10 wounded. They concurred on the helicopter crash incident in Kidal, stating it occurred during a routine mission without fatalities.

Independent verification of casualties is a challenge; however, a new dimension to the story has emerged from Russian military blogger channels. Accounts such as Semyon Pegov's 'War Gonzo' and the Baza Telegram news channel suggest losses within the ranks of the Wagner Group mercenaries, claiming at least 20 killed in an ambush and some captured by rebels.

Wagner's involvement in Mali highlights the group's controversial global presence, previously known for their role in Ukraine. Their logistics was disrupted by the death of the Wagner leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in a plane crash after his brief rebellion against the Russian defense structure. Officially, Mali has characterized the Russian presence as military trainers rather than mercenaries, despite Wagner fighters being in Mali since at least 2021, as per Baza's report.

This escalation in Mali is another surge in the long-standing conflict spurred by the Tuareg insurgency since 2012, which led to a peace agreement with the Malian government in 2015. The CSP-PSD's withdrawal from this agreement in 2022 suggests a persistent sense of marginalization amongst the Tuareg and a resultant ongoing challenge for Mali's junta government in restoring peace.