Europe 1 with AFP 1:35 p.m., April 25, 2022
The self-help group Islam und Muslime announced in a press release that they would arrest a Russian member of the Wagner militia who had been arrested in early April. This is the first time that this main jihadist alliance in the Sahel, linked to al-Qaeda, has announced the arrest of a Russian engaged on the front lines of the anti-jihadist struggle in the country.
The support group Islam and Muslims (GSIM) is detaining a Russian member of the Wagner militia, according to a press release on behalf of this jihadist formation, which was sent out Sunday into Monday. “During the first week of April, (we) captured a soldier of the Wagner Russian forces in the Ségou region,” in central Mali, the text reads in Arabic. This is the first time that GSIM, the main jihadist alliance in the Sahel affiliated with al-Qaeda, has announced the arrest of a Russian engaged on the front lines of the anti-jihadist struggle in the country.
“Hundreds of innocent civilians” killed
“These murderous forces joined the Malian army in a parachute operation at a market in the village of Moura, where they confronted several mujahideen before surrounding the place for five days, killing hundreds of innocent civilians,” the text adds.
According to the same press release, “the mujahideen also faced two parachute operations carried out by mercenaries over the cliffs of Bandiagara, 70 km from Sévaré (central Mali, ed.).
“Teacher” from Russia
Since 2012, Mali has been stuck in a deep security crisis that the deployment of foreign armed forces has not been able to resolve. Run by the military since August 2020, the country has made massive use of what it presents as “instructors” from Russia, while westerners (particularly Paris and Washington) denounce the presence in the country of “mercenaries” from the group of private Russian Wagner. which the Malian leaders in power staunchly deny.
Moura was the scene of a controversial operation by the Malian army in late March. According to the authorities in Bamako, Malian soldiers “neutralized” 203 jihadists there, but the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) accuses members of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) with the help of foreign fighters to have executed 300 civilians there. Since then, the UN mission in Mali (Minusma) has unsuccessfully asked the Malian authorities for permission to travel there to investigate the events.