The commander of French anti-jihadist force Barkhane, General Laurent Michon, accuses "mercenaries" from Russian group Wagner of "preying" on Mali as French forces finalise a withdrawal from the country. "The mining code in Mali has changed and now... a certain number of measures have been taken to exploit three gold sites for Wagner," he alleges, before adding: "It's called preying, plain and simple." The French general goes on to accuse the group of acting like a drug "dealer", giving Mali "a free dose" and quick fixes, before looking out for its own interests. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES