Two Russian fighters held by Azawad movements since the July 2024 battle of Tinzaouaten have been released following a lengthy negotiation process involving figures linked to eastern Libya’s military command, a source told Rouya Africa.

A deal finalized last week

The source said the agreement was implemented after negotiations reached their final stages last week — a development another source had flagged to Rouya Africa even before the deal was completed. Saddam Haftar, deputy commander-in-chief of eastern Libya’s forces, played a central role in the mediation. Following their release, the two Russians were reportedly flown to Libya rather than handed directly to Russian forces stationed in Anefif or Gao, in northern Mali.

Neither the Azawad Liberation Front, eastern Libya’s command, nor Russian authorities have officially commented on the details of the deal, and the terms it was built on — including whether any financial payment or additional arrangements were involved — remain unclear.

A secret delegation trip to Awbari and Benghazi paved the way

The groundwork for this understanding dates back several months, when a delegation from the Azawad Liberation Front made a highly secretive visit to the cities of Awbari and Benghazi, according to a Libyan source who spoke to Rouya Africa. The source said the trip was aimed at opening the file on the captives, capitalizing on eastern Libya’s position as a mediator with direct communication channels to armed movements active in northern Mali, as well as its military ties with Moscow.

Awbari carries particular weight in this file given its location in southwestern Libya and its long-standing tribal, social, and commercial networks extending into northern Mali, Niger, and Algeria, while Benghazi serves as the political and military decision-making hub for Khalifa Haftar’s camp.

While the visit doesn’t in itself signal a formal alliance between the Azawad front and eastern Libya’s leadership, it points to an active communication channel that was used, at minimum, in the prisoner negotiations — and gives Saddam Haftar a role that extends beyond Libya’s internal affairs into complex Sahel security files.

Background: the battle of Tinzaouaten

The two Russians were captured during fighting that took place between July 25 and 27, 2024, near Tinzaouaten on the Mali-Algeria border, pitting Azawad movements against the Malian army backed by Wagner Group fighters. Both the Malian army and Wagner acknowledged heavy losses at the time without providing a detailed toll, while the Azawad movements claimed to have killed 84 Russian fighters and 47 Malian soldiers, and captured seven members of the opposing force — figures that couldn’t be independently verified.

In August 2024, Azawad coalition spokesman Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane confirmed the existence of Russian prisoners and said his movement was open to initiatives concerning them. He reaffirmed in October that two Russians remained alive, denying claims from Wagner that one of them had died. The release comes as Moscow restructures its military presence in Africa, shifting much of Wagner’s role to the “Africa Corps,” which reports to Russia’s defense ministry.

Saddam Haftar: a recurring security mediator in the Sahel

This isn’t the first time Haftar’s camp has served as a mediator beyond Libya’s borders. Reuters previously reported, citing multiple sources, that Saddam Haftar played a significant role in securing the release of American missionary Kevin Ridout, who was kidnapped in Niger and later moved to Mali, where he was held by the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara.

Accounts of how Ridout was freed vary — some sources described a ransom deal, while another version pointed to an operation carried out by forces loyal to Haftar. What is confirmed is that he was flown to Benghazi following his release, before being handed over to relevant authorities. Reports that $12 million was paid to the group remain unconfirmed by any official source, and it’s unclear who would have covered that amount if the claim is accurate.

Taken together, these cases suggest that southern and eastern Libya are increasingly serving as a corridor for security mediation tied to the Sahel, drawing on existing ties with Russia and long-standing communication networks with communities and armed movements in northern Mali and Niger.

Part of a broader wave of releases in Mali

The Russian captives’ release coincided with a series of related developments in Mali over just a few days. On August 13, the Azawad Liberation Front released 82 Malian soldiers, including sick and wounded detainees requiring care unavailable in captivity, citing humanitarian considerations and respect for rules on the treatment of prisoners.

Mali’s army staff, for its part, described the development as a “liberation” resulting from coordinated planning and mobilization, without stating that a military operation had been carried out or disclosing where the soldiers were handed over or under what conditions. Front spokesman Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane confirmed the release, noting that around 118 Malian soldiers remain in captivity.

On the same day, transitional President Assimi Goïta granted a presidential pardon to French national Jean-Christian Bernard Vézilier, who had been sentenced to 20 years in prison for endangering state security. Mali’s government stressed that the pardon does not overturn the conviction or the facts it said the judiciary had established, and ordered Vézilier’s immediate removal from Malian territory. It also credited a “sister nation” — without naming it — whose discreet mediation contributed to the pardon.

There is no evidence directly linking these various releases or confirming they form part of a single regional deal. But they point to unusually active behind-the-scenes mediation channels in a region where secret lines of communication sometimes prove more effective than declared diplomatic relations.

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