“If the Russian mercenaries leave, we will go home”: In Mauritania, where he fled the brutal conflict tearing apart his native Mali, Mosso* expresses cautious optimism about returning after late April’s major attacks on Mali’s army and its Russian allies from the Africa Corps. These coordinated strikes, led by independence fighters from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and jihadists from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (Jnim, affiliated with Al-Qaeda), dealt an unprecedented blow to the Malian junta since its 2020 coup, notably killing the Defense minister.
In the Mauritanian town of Fassala, near the Malian border, the actions of Russian paramilitaries have left a painful mark on many refugees. Here, they are still referred to as “Wagner,” the name of the Russian private military company—now rebranded as “Africa Corps”—that has supported Mali’s army in its counter-jihadist efforts since French forces withdrew.
“It was Goïta who brought Wagner here”
Seeking shade under a flimsy tent against the scorching Saharan heat, Mosso* hopes for the downfall of Assimi Goïta, the Malian junta leader. “It was Goïta who brought Wagner to our land,” he declares. A 57-year-old nomadic Tuareg herder with a long white beard, Mosso fled the Mopti region in central Mali three weeks ago after armed men he identifies as Russian paramilitaries arrived in his camp and abducted locals. His own brother was killed by Russians in front of his then-14-year-old son a year ago, he recounts.
Civilian casualties in Mali are frequent, with many accused of collaborating with opposing factions facing reprisals from either the army and its Russian allies or jihadist groups. On April 20, three civil society organizations, including the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), filed a complaint with the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights regarding alleged violations in Mali involving Malian forces and the Wagner group.
Images of a Russian convoy leaving Kidal, a key northern city seized by Tuareg rebels in late April, have sparked cautious hope among refugees that the paramilitaries may finally withdraw. Like Mosso, around 300,000 Malians have sought refuge in Mauritania’s Hodh Chargui region since the conflict began in 2012.
The FLA-Jnim alliance under scrutiny
About 50 kilometers from the border, the Mbera camp now hosts 120,000 refugees fleeing violence from all sides: jihadists, the Malian army, Russian mercenaries, and communal militias. Ahmed*, 35, hopes for peace and a return home. He too wishes for the fall of the military government, which he blames for “bringing all these problems to the country.” “It’s Wagner’s fault that everyone ended up here,” says the Tuareg man, who sought to escape the arbitrary arrests and violence by the Malian army and its Russian allies.
Seventy-seven-year-old Abdallah*, a Tuareg refugee, views the recent rebel offensive with skepticism. His weathered face reflects deep concern. “I’m far from happy that the FLA retook Kidal,” he admits. To him, the alliance between the FLA and jihadists is a misstep. “For me, Jnim is a terrorist movement. Their goals don’t align with ours as moderate, peaceful Muslims.”
The blockades imposed by Jnim jihadists since October have triggered a fresh wave of refugees—nearly 14,000 people, mostly women and children—into Mauritania, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Fears of a new refugee surge
The recent escalation in Mali has humanitarian groups on high alert, fearing another influx of refugees into this arid region where resources are already stretched thin. “We are closely monitoring the situation with growing concern,” says Omar Doukali, UNHCR spokesperson in Mauritania.
In a Sahel grappling with escalating jihadist violence, Mauritania stands out as a rare oasis of stability. Yet the presence of over 300,000 Malian refugees is straining local resources. “There are tensions over grazing land, water access, and essential services, including healthcare,” explains Cheikhna Ould Abdallahi, mayor of Fassala, a town hosting 70,000 refugees and increasingly worried about the intensifying fighting in neighboring Mali.
The future remains uncertain. The FLA has vowed to capture major northern cities and predicts the junta’s collapse amid its offensive. Tilleli*, 22, cradles her one-year-old daughter as she recounts fleeing Mali a month ago when Russian mercenaries and soldiers looted and burned her village in the Mopti region. “I can only return home if Wagner leaves my country,” she asserts. “I don’t see peace coming anytime soon,” the young mother sighs.