Why in news
Russia’s Wagner mercenary group said it had suffered severe losses, including a commander, during battles with separatist forces in northeast Mali
Wagner group
The Wagner Group also known as PMC Wagner is a Russian paramilitary organization, founded in 2014
Essentially a network of contractors that supply soldiers for hire, the group isn’t registered anywhere
Owner and head is Yevgeny Prigozhin
Wagner at its peak had about 50,000 mercenary recruits - many of them ex-prisoners - fighting in Ukraine
The group has operated for years on battlefields in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America
Mali
Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa.
The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east by Niger, to the northwest by Mauritania, to the south by Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast, and to the west by Guinea and Senegal.
Its capital and largest city is Bamako.
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