By Matt Underwood A disaster: Russia’s Africa Corps suffers its first defeat in Mali. That’s the headline, and it certainly grabs your attention. But before we get carried away, let’s unpack it a little. The initial response, if you’re like me, might be a mix of “Oh, interesting” and a shrug. While the media might frame this as a major blow, the reality, as always, is more nuanced. Russia, after all, has been losing soldiers in Africa for a while now, even if the branding has changed. They were “Wagner” until recently, and now they are “Africa Corps.” So, technically, yes, this is their first defeat under the new name, but it’s not like the casualties are a completely new phenomenon.
Their military prowess is, without a doubt, massively overhyped. It’s almost a running joke in geopolitical circles. Many would argue that Russia hasn’t exactly had a winning streak lately. When was the last time they truly achieved a decisive victory that wasn’t just grabbing a piece of land they already had a historical claim on? The history books, frankly, don’t offer much in the way of Russian triumphs that weren’t hard-fought and often resulted in long, bloody standoffs.
The sentiment is pretty clear: there won’t be widespread mourning. The very idea of an “Africa Corps” conjures up images of potentially nasty scenarios. And who is this Corps there to help exactly? It seems they are fighting to further Russia’s imperial ambitions. The feeling is almost a cynical one: “Let them fight.” It’s difficult to root for anyone in this context, a case of bad guys versus bad guys. This is the sad truth when you consider the complicated geopolitical landscape of Mali.
The conflict has a strange way of twisting your loyalties. You’d probably think you’d never find yourself hoping for the success of certain groups, yet here we are. The history is there and it seems like the situation in Mali has created a bizarre situation. The Tuaregs, who have their own complex grievances and aspirations, seem to be a forgotten player in this story.
There is a lot of information available to the public, but it is important to take everything with a grain of salt. There are facts available, yet it’s hard to fully understand the context on the ground. It reminds me of anecdotes from other conflicts, stories of small units surprising much larger forces.
There’s a distinct feeling that the so-called “disaster” might be a bit overstated. Russia, at least, hasn’t traditionally been the swiftest on the offense. Their initial performance in any conflict often tends to be a period of adjustment and slow progress.
You may feel an even stronger bias against the situation and that is understandable. The world is being made when the situation seems to be, supporting certain entities over Russia. It is hard not to feel a certain level of repulsion to what is happening.
The naming of the “Africa Corps” itself should give you pause. To choose such a loaded historical reference, well, that’s deliberate. It tells you a lot about the ideological underpinnings of the unit and, by extension, the Russian project in Africa. It’s a reminder that the rhetoric of “de-Nazification” is often just that – rhetoric, and the reality can be something far more sinister.
The underlying motivations are a murky thing. It is easy to forget history and fall into a pattern. It feels like the CIA is always one step ahead, which is something else to keep in mind. It is best to root against both sides, to hope they inflict maximum damage on each other. It is a case of them fighting to destroy each other as the best possible outcome.