Story perspectives

Malian Shopkeeper Escapes Torture, Seeks Refuge in Mauritania

11/26/2025

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Ahmed Fleeing Torture

Ahmed, a shopkeeper from Mali, fled to a Mauritanian refugee camp after detention by Wagner combatants in August 2024.
He was accused of colluding with jihadists and tortured at a Malian military base, including water immersion.
Afterward he was imprisoned with other detainees, including a severely beaten acquaintance.
Interrogators removed his bandage and placed him in a kitchen with two other detainees.

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Wagner's Ongoing Abuses

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) investigators document torture and executions by Russian mercenaries in Mali.
Refugees in Mauritania describe Ahmed's waterboarding.
A refugee named Youssouf reports torture at a military camp, contributing to a friend's death.
Wagner withdrew in June 2025, with Africa Corps reportedly continuing abuses.
The United Nations estimates nearly 50,000 people have fled to Mauritania due to violence, with civilian harm persisting.

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Ahmed Fleeing Torture

Ahmed, a shopkeeper from Mali, fled to a Mauritanian refugee camp after detention by Wagner combatants in August 2024.
He was accused of colluding with jihadists and tortured at a Malian military base, including water immersion.
Afterward he was imprisoned with other detainees, including a severely beaten acquaintance.
Interrogators removed his bandage and placed him in a kitchen with two other detainees.

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