Arrival of Russian Wagner mercenaries in Mali

Sixteen European governments have issued a statement to "firmly condemn the deployment of mercenary troops" in the west African state of Mali.

The 16 governments, including France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany, said they were aware of "the involvement of the Russian Federation government in providing material support to the deployment of the Wagner group in Mali and call on Russia to revert to a responsible and constructive behavior in the region."