After mutiny, clouds hover over Wagner’s operations in Africa

Wagner’s mutiny in Russia has been eyed with interest and concern in Africa as questions mount over its operations.

1 Jul 2023, by Al Jazeera, Ope Adetayo

Many observers in Western and Central Africa watched with piqued attention as the Wagner Group mutiny unfolded in Russia, curious about its significance on the mercenary force’s vast operations on the continent.

Since 2018 when Wagner arrived in Central African Republic (CAR) to fight off a rebel uprising, the armed group has expanded its footprint, later launching operations in Mali, Sudan, and Libya. For African governments struggling to deal with escalating domestic insecurity, Wagner became a lifeline.

After the mercenaries helped CAR’s President Faustin-Archange Touadéra in 2018 against rebel forces, Russian became an official language taught in the country’s schools, and Wagner leaders became dignitaries in the capital Bangui.

In Mali, the military lost patience in a decade-long collaboration with former colonial master France in tackling insecurity from armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) and signed up with Wagner instead.

But after last week’s attempted Wagner mutiny, a cloud is hovering over not only the armed group’s foreign activities, but also the bilateral relationships between Russia and African nations that employ the mercenary outfit.

NOT SURE WHAT WILL HAPPEN

WEST OUT, WAGNER IN

More >> Wagner’s operations in Africa.

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