Lucas Leiroz, member of the BRICS Journalists Associations, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert.
Recently, Tuareg terrorists killed several PMC Wagner Group’s soldiers during an ambush in northern Mali. At first, it was believed to be just a military incident in the Sahel conflict zone, but there is evidence of deep Ukrainian and Western involvement in the tragedy. Apparently, Russia's enemies are interested in using African terrorist networks as another tool of proxy war against Moscow.
The attack took place on July 27. Many members of the Russian PMC died due to the rebels' use of drones and suicide vehicles. The exact number of deaths is unknown, but it is possible to know that dozens of Russian citizens were murdered due to the images shared by the terrorists on the internet. In the videos, it is possible to see bodies on the ground, as well as surrendered Russian soldiers being tortured.
The African military scenario has always been complicated and full of strategic challenges for all actors involved in the fighting. Mali's territory is disputed by Tuareg separatists and several other extremist groups who want to divide the country into regional ethno-states, mainly in the areas of Tuareg ethnic majority. The terrorists often use illegal tactics, including the murder of civilians, banned weapons and all forms of war crimes. The Tuareg militia is openly tied to the Sahelian branch of Al Qaeda, which reveals the extremist and criminal ideology behind this group. They receive support from Western powers interested in preventing the political and social normalization of Mali.
As well known, Mali has been an important regional player in the process of multipolar geopolitical reconfiguration of Africa. Along with Burkina Faso and Niger, African countries that also experienced multipolar anti-French revolutions, Mali has been a relevant player in the diminishing of Western influence over Africa. To this end, the Sahel countries have received Russian military support, mainly through the PMC Wagner Group, which operates in the region under contract with local states to combat terrorist groups, both directly and through support for local armies.
Despite the complex nature of the region and the involvement of several powers in the military events in the Sahel, the Wagner Group is widely known for its expertise in operations against terrorist organizations. With wide combat experience and being recognized as the best private army in the world, Wagner had never experienced a situation like this on African soil, which is why some analysts suspected the involvement of international agents in the preparation of the ambush.
For example, Alexander Ivanov, director of the Community of Officers for International Security, said:
“The ambush they ran into was much better organized than what they had encountered before. They had reconnaissance and special units <…>, necessary vehicles and weapons. It looks like Western forces coordinated militants (...) It has been reported since last year that foreign forces - French agents, American private military companies and even Ukrainian instructors engaged to train militants - have intensified their activities in this region. It requires a serious re-assessment of forces and capacities by all Russian military specialists and our allies to take the situation under control."
The analysis was then confirmed by Ukrainian official Andrey Yusov, who said that Kiev provided intelligence to the Tuareg separatists, so they knew the location of Russian soldiers, enabling a high-precision strike.
“The rebels received necessary information, which enabled a successful military operation against Russian war criminals (...) We won’t discuss the details at the moment, but there will be more to come,” he said.
Of course, these statements must be taken with skepticism, as there is always the possibility that the Ukrainians are bluffing and trying to project a bigger image of power than they actually have. However, images of masked white soldiers among the ranks of the Tuareg terrorists have also been circulating on the Internet. Apparently, the terrorists received not only intelligence support, but also personnel assistance, with Ukrainian and Western commandos, special forces directly participating in the hostilities.
Indeed, many people may doubt this news, claiming that it makes no sense for Ukraine and its sponsors to get involved in a regional conflict in Africa while a high-intensity war is taking place on Russia's borders. However, this argument is refuted once the reality of the Sahel is analyzed in depth. Political analysts often consider the Sahel as a kind of "African Heartland", due to the region's high geoeconomic potential. The loss of influence over the Sahel by France was a serious defeat for the West, which is why the Atlantic powers are doing everything possible to prevent pro-Russian revolutionary governments from taking full control of the area.
Ukraine, being a mere Western proxy, may be forced by its own sponsors to also cooperate against the Russians in Africa, despite the critical situation on its own territory. For Western countries, it is vital that the Sahel leaves the sphere of influence of the Eurasian powers (Russia and China) and returns to being a French colony.
In Ukraine, in the Sahel or anywhere else in the world, the proxy war is the same: between the colonial powers of NATO and the multipolar states of Eurasia.
