A shocking Associated Press investigation has accused Russia’s state-linked paramilitary group, the Africa Corps, of committing brutal war crimes in Mali — including rape, beheadings, kidnappings, and mutilations of civilians. Refugees who fled to Mauritania described witnessing entire villages burned and bodies desecrated, with organs reportedly removed from victims. Witnesses said members of the Africa Corps, which is controlled by Russia’s Defence Ministry, showed the same brutality as the disbanded Wagner Group, which operated in Mali until mid‑2025.