Separatist rebels in northern Mali reported on Thursday that they killed 84 fighters from the Russian mercenary group Wagner and 47 Malian soldiers near the Algerian border in late July. The fighting lasted for three days starting on July 25 at a military camp at Tinzaouatene. The Tuareg-led separatists also claimed to have taken seven hostages from Wagner and the Malian government, while admitting to losing nine of their own men.
The Strategic Framework for the Defence of the People of Azawad (CSP-DPA) alliance stated that about 30 other troops or fighters were either dead or seriously injured and were airlifted to Kidal, a key northern city. They also reported finding charred bodies inside armored vehicles and transport trucks. Azawad is the designated name for Tuareg Berber areas fighting for an independent homeland.
In response to the separatist claims, the Al-Qaeda-linked group JNIM also alleged attacking a Malian army convoy and Wagner allies south of Tinzaouatene. The army and the Wagner group acknowledged suffering heavy losses in the area, although figures could not be verified by independent sources.
Analysts noted that this was the most significant loss faced by Wagner in Africa. The Wagner group, previously involved in Ukraine, has been active in Africa. The CSP-DPA said they confiscated several vehicles and arms from the defeated forces and credited a sandstorm for turning the tide in their favor during the fighting. The Malian army, alongside Burkina Faso, conducted air attacks in the Tinzaouatene region following the conflict.
Since the military coup in 2020, Malian leadership has sought to regain control from separatists and jihadists linked to terror groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS. The junta, led by Colonel Assimi Goita, shifted alliances towards Russia after breaking ties with France. Following a lull, hostilities resumed in August 2023, leading to the capture of Kidal in November by Malian forces. Although seen as a symbolic victory, rebels continued to resist, resulting in intense fighting near Tinzaouatene at the end of July.
