UN experts call for probe into alleged Wagner Group crimes in Mali

Mercenaries and government forces accused of human rights abuse in West African nation

Russian mercenaries in northern Mali are among those accused of atrocities in the country. AP

A group of human rights experts working with the UN has called for an investigation into the Wagner Group's activities in Mali, where government forces and the Russian private army have been accused of widespread abuse.

The experts, who do not officially represent the UN but are mandated to report their findings to the global body, on Tuesday said they had received “persistent and alarming accounts” of mass atrocities, torture, summary executions and other brutal crimes.

“We are disturbed by the apparent increased outsourcing of traditional military functions to the so-called Wagner Group in various military operations, also encompassing operations defined as counterterrorism,” they said.

The experts reported their concerns to Malian authorities, urging them to exert the “utmost vigilance in prohibiting the direct participation in hostilities of all private individuals operating on its territory”.

A UN statement noted the victims of the Russian mercenaries could not seek justice amid fear of reprisals for speaking out.

“The use of mercenaries, mercenary-like actors and private security and military companies only exacerbates the cycle of violence and impunity prevailing in the country,” the experts said.

The Wagner Group — a network providing fighters for hire that was founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin — has been operating in Mali despite evidence gathered by the UN linking it to widespread human rights abuse.

Since 2012, Mali has been plagued by insurgent groups connected to ISIS and Al Qaeda. Vast parts of the West African nation are controlled by rebel groups, militias and criminal gangs.

Speaking before the UN Security Council last week, France's deputy ambassador to the UN, Nathalie Broadhurst, told Security Council members that the Wagner Group's presence in Mali was “known to all and even recognised by the Russian authorities”.