insurgents

The Russian government has sent weapons, helicopters and mercenaries from the Wagner group to help Mali fight Islamist insurgents and rebels.

Russia, which has been seeking to gain more influence in Africa, has in recent years sent thousands of mercenaries to West and Central Africa to protect military regimes and help them fight insurgents.

A large deployment of Russian troops arrived in the country in January in a sign of deepening ties, a year after French troops fighting insurgents were kicked out of the country.

Last year marked a turn of the tide, as the junta saw a fresh wave of attacks from insurgents that have since pushed the military government to breaking point.

Since then, though, China has tried to rein in the insurgents, to prevent an outright collapse of the military regime in Nay Pyi Daw.