The Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, is present in Mali and Libya “on a commercial basis,” according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. “We also explained the situation that has developed in Libya, where this private military company was invited by the authorities in the city of Tobruk, where the Libyan parliament is located,” he added. “They are there on a commercial basis, as well as in Mali.”Reputed to be close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Wagner Group and its mercenaries are suspected of abuses in Mali, Libya and Syria. Mali’s military-dominated government says the Russians in the country are military instructors. According to a European official, up to 20,000 mercenaries from the Wagner Group, as well as from Syria and Libya, are fighting with Moscow’s forces in Ukraine.

Source: Libya Today May 02, 2022 17:29 UTC