Russia’s defence ministry has claimed its Africa Corps – the successor to the former Wagner mercenary group – prevented a coup in Mali over the weekend, avoiding mass civilian casualties and inflicting “irreplaceable losses” on rebel insurgents. It said in a statement that its troops in the desert town of Kidal near the Algerian border had fought for more than 24 hours while completely surrounded and vastly outnumbered. It also alleged, without providing evidence, that the militants had been trained by European mercenary instructors, including Ukrainians. The casualty toll was not specified. Local reports on Monday had suggested that, contrary to Russia’s claims, the Africa Corps troops negotiated their exit, with Algeria as a mediator. Rebel forces in Mali over the weekend drove the Africa Corps from Kidal, launched an attack near the capital, Bamako, and killed defence minister Sadio Camara – a key Moscow ally – in an apparent suicide bombing.…