In a message on its Telegram channel, Wagner said it had "fought terrorism side-by-side with the people of Mali", killing "thousands of militants and their commanders, who terrorised civilians for years". The Russian mercenary group has been operating there since 2021, working with the military to challenge Islamist militants. The Wagner Group has announced it is withdrawing from Mali following what it called "the completion of its main mission" in the West African country. Although the paramilitary group has announced its exit from Mali, Russian forces will still play an active role in the country's security landscape. Fighters from Africa Corps - a rival Russian mercenary force intended to absorb Wagner's activities on the continent - will remain in Mali.