Source link : https://london-news.net/russian-militias-in-africa-a-growing-threat-to-global-arms-control-standards/
A recent report from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) warns that countries supplying arms to regions where Russian private military companies (PMCs) are active may be violating international arms control agreements.
The report underscores deficiencies in global arms oversight systems, which struggle to address the ambiguous boundaries between PMCs and regular national armed forces, as well as the intersection of conflict and organized crime.
This oversight enables mercenaries to appropriate arms meant for their official clients, potentially employing those weapons in the commission of war crimes, according to GI-TOC.
The Wagner Group has faced accusations of perpetrating massacres, torture, and sexual violence against civilians since its initial deployment in Mali, following a request from the country’s ruling junta, along with looting local communities and extorting industries such as the profitable gold mining sector.
Since the group’s involvement, civilian casualties in Mali reportedly doubled from 2021 to 2024 compared to prior years.
When the mercenaries first entered the country, they weren’t fully equipped. GI-TOC’s research, which included open-source visuals and interviews with sources within Mali, indicated that the Wagner Group procured weapons through combat and theft from the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa).
This strategy allowed Wagner to operate with greater secrecy and collaborate more closely with FAMa, while also…
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Publish date : 2025-10-28 17:35:00
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