Wagner Mercenaries Helping Mali Army Kill Civilians, Rights Groups Say

This undated photo provided by the French military shows three Russian mercenaries in northern Mali. Mali and its neighbors have long battled an Islamic extremist insurgency. Ruling juntas have turned to Russia's mercenary units for security assistance.

The Russian mercenary group known as Wagner is helping government forces in central and northern Mali carry out raids and drone strikes that have killed scores of civilians, including many children, rights groups said in reports published this week that span the period from December to March.