A major investigation has found that the mercenary 'private security' company has failed to accomplish its mission of defeating jihadists and separatists in the West African nation.

Wagner, the controversial and feared Russian mercenary/private security company, has been a failure in Mali, and civilian casualties have increased since it replaced French forces there in 2022 to help the country's military junta fight terrorists and separatists, according to a new report.

The investigation by The Sentry, a US-based investigative organisation that tracks corruption and violent kleptocracy, has concluded that Wagner has been unable to take control of large areas of Mali where armed terrorist and separatist groups are challenging the authority of the Malian military, which seized power from an elected government in a coup in 2020.

The report, Mercenary Meltdown: The Wagner Group's Failure in Mali, says the increase in civilian attacks and casualties since Wagner arrived has severely undermined relations between the Malian military and the Malian public.

"Faced with challenges such as insufficient air support, a lack of trust, and a lack of reliable information from informants, the Wagner Group has become more reactive and violent -- allowing the very terrorist groups they were hired to neutralize...