Mali's Russian Mercenaries Block Refugee Returns to Mauritania

Malian refugees sheltering in Mauritania have made Russian withdrawal from Mali a precondition for return, according to France 24 reporting from April 2026. Mali's military junta shows no sign of expelling Russian security contractors, making the refugee population an indefinite humanitarian and fiscal burden for Mauritania. The displacement adds pressure to a state already managing jihadist spillover from its volatile eastern border.