The GSIM, the main jihadist alliance in the Sahel, linked to Al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for this capture in a document sent to AFP, without providing proof.
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The capture took place “in the Segou region”, in central Mali. The Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM) is detaining a Russian member of the Wagner militia, this jihadist formation announced in a press release, sent to AFP on the night of Sunday April 24 to Monday April 25. However, the GSIM did not provide any evidence to attest to the veracity of the facts.
This is the first time that the main jihadist alliance in the Sahel, linked to Al-Qaeda, has announced the capture of a Russian engaged on the front of the anti-jihadist fight in the country. “These murderous forces participated with the Malian army in a parachute operation on a market in the village of Moura where they confronted several mujahideen before encircling this locality for five days and killing hundreds of innocent civilians”adds the text.
According to the same press release, “the mujahideen also faced two parachute operations carried out by the mercenaries above the cliffs of Bandiagara, 70 km from Sévaré (central Mali). The mujahideen succeeded in confiscating weapons from the mercenaries who took the leak”.
Since 2012, Mali has been plunged into a deep security crisis that the deployment of foreign forces has not been able to resolve. Led by the military since August 2020, the country has made massive use of what it presents as “instructors” from Russia while Westerners (Paris and Washington in particular) denounce the presence in the country of “mercenaries” of the private Russian group Wagner, which the Malian colonels in power strongly deny.