WAGNER’S RECORD IN THE SAHEL (2020–2025): Between Security Mirage and Political Reality – A Critical Assessment of the Malian Case[BILAN DE WAGNER AU SAHEL (2020–2025) : Entre mirage sécuritaire et réalité politique. Une évaluation critique du cas malien]

Since its arrival in Mali in 2021, the Russian paramilitary group Wagner has been portrayed by the authorities as a sovereign alternative to previous Western interventions, notably Operation Barkhane. This article provides a critical assessment of Wagner's security, political, and social record from 2021 to 2025. Using a mixed-methods approach (ACLED data, UN reports, and qualitative sources), it demonstrates that Wagner has failed to significantly reduce insecurity and has been associated with serious human rights violations. The analysis highlights the political use of violence: Wagner did not merely operate militarily—it actively contributed to the consolidation of an authoritarian, opaque, and unaccountable regime. This intervention redefined sovereignty as an instrument of internal deterrence and diplomatic rupture, yet one increasingly delegitimized in the eyes of the population. The article concludes that security imposed without justice or inclusion fosters distrust and undermines prospects for lasting stabilization in the Sahel.