Who are Tuaregs and what is known about their attack on Wagner PMC convoy in Mali
Tuaregs attack Wagner PMC convoy in Mali (photo: Getty Images)
On the evening of Saturday, July 27, photos and videos of a defeated convoy of Wagner PMC fighters in the African country of Mali stirred the web. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by Tuareg rebels from the CSP-PSD movement.
Attack on Wagner men in Mali
Fighting between Tuareg rebels and fighters of the Russian Wagner PMC took place in the city of Tinzauaten near the Malian border with Algeria on Thursday and Friday, July 25 and 26.
Initially, the CSP-PSD rebel movement claimed that the Tuareg had managed to seize armored vehicles, trucks, and tanks. They also damaged a helicopter that later crashed in the city of Kidal, hundreds of kilometers away.
After the battle, the Tuareg posted many videos on social media showing a broken convoy of military equipment and the bodies of the dead. According to Russian “military experts,” at least 20 Wagner PMC fighters were killed in the attack.
Photo: Who are the Tuareg who defeated the Wagnerian convoy in Mali (Getty Images)
Later, the CSP-PSD movement reported a battle with a battalion of the Malian army that supported the Wagner militants. The rebels claimed that the enemies were destroyed, and the mercenaries and soldiers who survived the battle were captured. According to the Malian army, only two soldiers were killed and 10 wounded in the battle, while Tuareg losses allegedly amounted to almost 20 killed. However, videos posted online say otherwise.
Today, the social network X published a post allegedly from the CSP-PSD movement with a proposal to hand over the captured Wagnerites to Ukraine.
“This gesture is aimed at helping you in your struggle for justice and freedom,” the post read, which cannot be verified.
Who are the Tuaregs?
The Tuareg are an ethnic group that inhabits the Sahara region, including parts of northern Mali.
In 2012, the Tuareg started an uprising against the Malian government, and during the uprising, they were allied with Islamist groups affiliated with al-Qaeda for some time, which dealt a major blow to the Tuareg's image in the Western world.
The rebels hoped to form Azawad, an independent Tuareg nation. They even hold the strategic city of Kidal.
Photo: Who are the Tuareg who defeated the Wagnerian convoy in Mali (Getty Images)
In 2015, the Tuareg rebel movement signed a peace agreement with the junta of Mali but withdrew from it at the end of 2022.
Last year, the media reported that the Tuareg movement had declared war on the Wagner PMC militants operating in Mali and helping the junta.
What Wagner's men are doing in Mali
According to the Russian military commanders themselves, the Wagner PMC fighters have been in Mali since at least 2021. Despite the fact that Wagner's men operate in various African countries, including the Central African Republic, Niger, and Burkina Faso, the PMC has the closest relations with Mali, according to Western media.
As noted by Reuters, Wagner's instructors help the local army and provide it with Russian equipment. By supporting regimes in Africa, the Russians are trying to seize control of valuable resources available in poor African countries, as well as to oust the influence of Western countries from Africa, in particular France.
It was also reported that the most popular propagandist of the Wagner PMC was killed in Mali as a result of the Tuareg attack on the Wagnerians.
Sources: Reuters and The Economist, as well as information from Wikipedia.
