Local sources reported that Russia recently began recruiting a number of young Syrians from As-Suwayda, southern Syria, in preparation for sending them to an African country.

According to what the Syrian businessman, Firas Tlass, son of the former defense minister in Al-Assad regime, Mustafa Tlass, said that the Russian "Wagner" company started a recruitment campaign for young men in Jabal Al-Arab in southern Syria, to send them to Mali.

He pointed out that the required number is 400 young men, and the work, as is rumored, is guarding the gold mines, but the truth is to strengthen one party at the expense of another, in the conflict there.

Tlass confirmed that a Syrian businessman with Venezuelan citizenship, residing in Caracas, pledged to pay the salaries of the conscripts to the Russian security company, and he himself had supported a similar campaign to Libya.

The Syrian businessman pointed out that the Syrian supporter had a strong relationship with the former leader of Venezuela, "Hugo Chavez," and he has investments in the field of gold currently in Mali.

It is noteworthy that Russia is taking advantage of the difficult economic and living situation in Al-Assad's areas to recruit Syrian youths to fight in countries in which it has interests, especially Libya, Armenia and Ukraine.