Russia is expanding its military base in Mali, according to new satellite imagery that shows construction work at a former site of the Wagner Group, a private military contractor linked to the Kremlin.
The imagery, captured by Maxar on 26 February, reveals new buildings, roads, and excavations at the site of Wagner’s former base at Modibo Keita International Airport, Mali’s main airport located approximately 15km from the capital Bamako.
The base, which was reportedly used by Wagner operatives as a training and logistics hub, has seen a significant increase in activity since July, when only a handful of vehicles were present. The imagery shows over 40 vehicles of varying sizes, as well as two large features that resemble a possible new administrative building and revetted storage area.
The expansion of the base suggests that Russia remains committed to the development of its presence in Mali and the wider region, despite the death of Wagner’s founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, in August 2023.
In June last year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Wagner members would continue their operations in Mali and the Central African Republic (CAR) as instructors. “This work, of course, will continue,” he said in an interview with the RT outlet.
The Wagner Group has been actively involved in various African countries, offering military and security support while expanding Russia’s influence across the continent. Their operations primarily focus on security issues, providing security services, paramilitary assistance, and even launching disinformation campaigns to support troubled regimes in exchange for resource concessions and diplomatic support. The Wagner Group has been most active in countries such as the CAR, Libya, Mali, and Sudan, where they have established a presence due to the countries’ historical ties with Russia and their strained relationships with the West.
However, the Wagner Group has also faced legal and political challenges for its activities in Africa, especially in Libya, where it was accused of violating the UN arms embargo and supporting the forces of renegade general Khalifa Haftar against the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA).
In response to these challenges, Russia said it is preparing to launch a new military force in Africa, dubbed the ‘African Legion‘, which will replace the controversial Wagner group of mercenaries.
The new military force will consist of former Wagner operatives and private security contractors affiliated with Russian companies working in Africa. The African Legion was formed in August 2023, after Prigozhin’s death, and recruitment in Africa and Russia started in December 2023.
Russia created the African Legion to avoid the legal and political complications that Wagner faced in its operations in Africa, and to pursue its economic and strategic interests in the continent, such as securing mineral resources, expanding its influence, undermining western interests, and promoting authoritarianism. The African Legion was supposed to be a more official and legitimate military force, directly subordinate to the Russian Ministry of Defense and cooperating with the African Union and regional organizations.
The African Legion will focus on providing security and training services to the African governments that host it, as well as protecting Russian interests and investments in the continent. The report stressed that the presence of the African Legion in the Sahel region was crucial for Russia’s strategic goals in Africa, as it would allow it to counter the influence of France, the former colonial power, and the United States, which has a military base in Niger.
African Legion will not be involved in direct combat operations, but will act as a deterrent and a stabilizing force in the conflict-ridden countries. The report also said that the African Legion will cooperate with the African Union and the regional organizations, such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the G5 Sahel, to support peace and security initiatives in Africa.
However, the African Legion also faced criticism and opposition from the international community and some African countries, who saw it as a threat to peace and security in the continent.
The expansion of the Russian base in Mali indicates that Russia is not deterred by the international pressure and is determined to assert its role as a major player in Africa. Russia’s involvement in Africa poses challenges and opportunities for the continent, as well as for the global order.