EU Takes Note Of Reports On Deal Between Mali, Russian Security Group Wagner - Commission

European Union has taken note of information about Mali and the Russian private paramilitary organization Wagner allegedly making a deal, and insists that all actors in the country must comply with international law, European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th September, 2021) The European Union has taken note of information about Mali and the Russian private paramilitary organization Wagner allegedly making a deal, and insists that all actors in the country must comply with international law, European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow does not conduct official negotiations with the Malian government, including through Wagner, and has no military presence in the Western African nation. His comments came in response to Western media reports about a military deal reached between Mali and Wagner Group.

"We have noted the information (about Wagner and Mali)," Stano said, adding that the EU will not cooperate with the Russian mercenaries on the ground.

All actors in Mali must comply with human rights and international law to ensure that the fight against terrorism in the African country is conducted "properly," he added.

Mali is regularly the scene of attacks, killings, and abductions by various armed terrorist groups. There are a set of initiatives deployed in the Western African state to help curb the Islamist threat and provide humanitarian support, including the UN mission on the ground (MINUSMA), the EU Training Mission Mali, among others.