Tuareg Rebels Demand Wagner Mercenaries Be Kicked Out of Africa

The Permanent Strategic Council for the Protection of the Azawad People (CSP-DPA), one of the Tuareg rebel groups in Mali, responded to accusations made by Senegal and spokespersons of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) following armed clashes that took place from July 25 to 27 near the border town of Tinzaouaten in northern Mali, near the Algerian border.

The three-day battle was between Tuareg rebels and Malian government forces supported by a large number of Russian mercenaries from the Wagner private military company. The rebels were victorious and inflicted severe casualties on the government forces, killing more than 80 of Moscow’s mercenaries.

In the early hours of Wednesday, Aug. 7 the CSP-DPA issued a statement via its official X / Twitter site that angrily responded to accusations by Senegal and ECOWAS that the Tuareg forces had carried out an unprovoked attack on Mali’s armed forces.

The CSP-DPA statement claims that their forces were only defending themselves against an attack by Wagner mercenaries who were supporting the Malian junta and condemned the international community for ignoring crimes against civilians committed by the Russian mercenaries.

It urges Senegal, which considers the militants of the Wagner Group to be part of the Armed Forces of Mali and the Tuareg to be terrorists, along with ECOWAS to help end the conflict and return to a peaceful resolution, rather than supporting the junta that violates human rights.

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The CSP-DPA says that the Tuaregs “are ready to cooperate to provide more information about this situation to any state or organization that wishes it.”

Its spokesman, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, points out that the Tuaregs only took up arms against the Malian junta and Wagner after the regime violated a previous peace agreement and expelled peacekeeping forces.

Following the July battle at Tinzaouaten, Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) hinted that it had provided “necessary information” to the Tuaregs “ensured a successful military operation against Russian war criminals” without confirming any operational activity in Mali.

On Monday, July 29, Kyiv Post received an exclusive photograph from sources within Ukraine's defense and security sector, that appeared to show Tuareg rebels posing with a Ukrainian flag that was taken prior to the July action.

Mali accused Kyiv of supplying intelligence to the rebel forces and, in response, announced that it was severing diplomatic relations with Kyiv on Sunday, Aug. 4. It gave the reason for this action being a mysterious statement by a Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman who allegedly acknowledged involvement.

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Monday that this decision was “regrettable, short-sighted and hasty,” adding that Mali proceeded “without a thorough examination of the facts and circumstances... and without providing any evidence of Ukraine's [direct] involvement.” The statement went on to criticze Russian military presence in Africa.

Last week, Kyiv Post received exclusive footage showing how Ukrainian special forces, a day after Russia’s President Vladimir Putin had met with Syria’s President Bashar al- Assad, delivered a devastating strike on a Russian airbase in Syria, destroying military equipment.

In June, Kyiv Post obtained exclusive video allegedly showing Ukrainian special forces working with Syrian rebels to decimate Russian mercenaries in Syria.

In February, it received exclusive video that purported showing Ukrainian special forces interrogating captured Wagner mercenaries in the Republic of Sudan. In the video, the prisoners admit that their task had been to go to Sudan and overthrow the government there.

In January, Kyiv Post published an exclusive video showing Ukrainian drones destroying “Russian mercenaries” and their “local terrorist partners” in Sudan.