Why Ukraine is Fighting Russia in Africa.

Why Ukraine is Fighting Russia in Africa

In the dark of night, high above the city, a Ukrainian drone hovers silently. This surveillance drone, generously donated by the United States and Britain, is equipped with advanced technology including night vision and thermal cameras. The thermal camera helps the drone identify targets easily in the cool African winter. Meanwhile, a team of Ukrainian special forces quietly moves up a residential street, about a kilometer away from their target. Their assault rifles are fitted with silencers to minimize noise and light. Tonight, however, they plan to use rocket-propelled grenades, sourced from the local Sudanese military, to accomplish their mission.

The security team consists of two snipers and their spotters on the ground. They are positioned in different buildings to oversee the approaching team. The snipers have a clear view of the east-side apartments, where the targets are located. They can see into the target apartments through balconies and windows. A drone patrols in a race track pattern over the target building, providing a feed to one of the soldiers on the ground. The team is worry-free as the area is quiet and locals have gone to bed. They are just a few hundred meters away from the target building and have split into two squads to move to their assigned points.

The drone and snipers are monitoring movement on two balconies connected to the target apartments. Using thermal cameras and scopes, they can see five hostiles on the balconies chatting and smoking. These hostiles are unaware of the impending attack. Originally, intelligence had considered a risky assault on the target apartments, but the presence of friendly militants made this too dangerous. The elite commandos need a precise and quick operation to avoid a full-on battle. They will forgo gathering intelligence and instead focus on a direct attack on the hostiles.

The Americans have provided encrypted radios, which are good but not as advanced as the gear reserved for their special forces. Mission failure or capture is a real risk, so the best technology is kept secret to prevent enemies from reverse-engineering it. Despite the strong encryption, there is still a chance it could be compromised, especially if the targets have detection equipment. Therefore, communication is limited to emergencies. The strike force operates on a precise schedule, awaiting the perfect moment. At 01:56, two jets of flame hit the balconies where the hostiles are located. The RPGs explode in bright flashes, visible through drones and sniper scopes. Another two jets of flame, followed by explosions, strike the building.

The five hostiles were quickly eliminated by rocket-propelled grenades. The snipers, scanning the building, identified human bodies inside. One hostile was seen peeking out a window before being shot by a sharpshooter from 2 kilometers away. The.57 caliber round easily pierced through the brick wall, hitting the target. The interior of the room briefly lit up as the hostile's blood splattered before cooling in the cool air.

A hostile hiding behind furniture in an apartment was taken out by a rifle shot from 200m away. Ground teams reloaded and launched four rocket-propelled grenades into the building, causing widespread damage. With the help of drones and snipers, the assault teams successfully exfiltrated to waiting trucks that quickly departed. Another vehicle was sent to pick up the sniper teams.

In a secret operation, Ukrainian forces targeted Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group in an undisclosed location in Sudan. The reason for this covert mission dates back to Russia's long-standing connections with Sudan. The conflict in Sudan erupted in 2023, sparking fears of a return to civil war. The country has a history of turmoil, with Omar al-Bashir seizing power in a coup in 1989 and committing atrocities, including genocide in Darfur. His regime enforced a strict interpretation of Sharia law and persecuted religious minorities. Ukraine's pursuit of Russian operatives in Sudan is aimed at disrupting Russia's influence in the region.

In 2019, ongoing protests swept across the nation, demanding the president step down and calling for more civil liberties and democratic rule. Eventually, the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, carried out a coup. The RSF, originally an Arab-majority militia under Bashir used to repress rebels and commit atrocities in Darfur, now became a powerful force in the country. Hemedti, by taking control of the nation's gold mines, became one of the wealthiest individuals in Sudan.

In 2019, the RSF teamed up with the SAF to overthrow Bashir. Hemedti and SAF General Burhan collaborated to form a transitional government and draft a new constitution. The transitional council selected Abdalla Hamdok as prime minister. Despite efforts to address Sudan's economic challenges, Hamdok was ousted by the SAF and RSF in October 2021. This triggered widespread protests and halted international aid to Sudan. This worsened the economic crisis, leading to Hamdok's reinstatement in November. However, he had to share power with Burhan, Hemedti, and other security forces, essentially becoming a figurehead prime minister.

Protestors were upset about Hamdok's reinstatement terms and the violence from security forces, so they protested again. Finally, in January 2022, Hamdok resigned, leaving Burhan as the de facto head of state. However, Burhan and Hemedti couldn't agree on a smooth power transition for the Sudanese people. They wanted to keep significant state powers with the security forces, which would make the next Prime Minister a puppet to them. They also disagreed on the future of the RSF, with Burhan wanting to integrate them into the Sudanese Armed Forces. The power struggle between Burham and Hemedti led to fighting between their factions.

There is a belief that the outbreak of fighting in Sudan is due to Russia's involvement. In 2017, Omar al-Bashir met with Putin before being removed from power. Bashir was worried about losing control and suggested a deal to make Sudan Russia's gateway to Africa. This deal would give Russia access to Sudan's valuable gold mines. The Wagner Group was sent to Sudan as Russia's proxy to secure resources and support Bashir. Wagner also set up a gold processing plant with protection from the Rapid Support Forces. They would buy gold from local miners at high prices, allowing them to make huge profits in international markets.

Wagner, led by chief Wagner and skydiver Prigozhin, aimed to profit from gold mining in Sudan with the government taking a cut. Operating under the company Meroe Gold, Wagner was sanctioned by the US in 2020. Wagner and Sudan's Rapid Support Forces became closely linked with arms supply. Russia sought to establish a naval base but was refused by General Burhan, possibly to prevent increased Russian influence. This rejection ultimately led to Sudan severing ties with Russia for its exploitation and territorial ambitions. Observers believe Wagner's actions fueled a new civil war, with Burhan and Hemedti cooperating with Russia to differing extents. Hemedti especially benefited financially from the partnership. Russia was accused of illegally smuggling gold out of Sudan, contradicting Sudan's anti-colonial stance

The evidence pointing to Russia's involvement is strong. Wagner collaborated with Hemedti and his Rapid Support Forces to exploit Sudan's resources. Russian personnel were caught smuggling gold before the conflict started. Russian military aircraft arrived in eastern Libya, where weapons were then transported to Sudan for use by Rapid Support Forces.

In 2023, the Sudanese government presented evidence of 16 cargo flights leaving the country for a Russian-operated military base in Syria, believed to be carrying gold to fund Russia's war in Ukraine. This financial support not only aids Wagner Group's operations in Ukraine but also funds the Russian military. The connection between Sudan and Ukraine became apparent when Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov vowed to hunt down Russian war criminals worldwide. Following this statement, videos surfaced showing Ukrainian special forces taking action in Sudan, targeting Wagner vehicles and mercenaries, as well as their allies in the Rapid Support Forces. The videos depict Ukrainian commandos using tactics similar to those employed during the conflict in Ukraine and interviewing captured Wagner operatives and RSF members.

The Ukrainian ambush against a Wagner unit resulted in only three men surviving. During his visit to Ireland in September 2023, Ukraine's president, Volodymir Zelensky, had a meeting with General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Zelensky mentioned that they discussed common security challenges, with a specific focus on Russia's financing of illegal armed groups, which directly targeted Wagner. The Ukrainian special forces' campaign remains highly secretive, and apart from a few leaks, little is known about the number and effectiveness of Ukrainian commandos in the country in disrupting Russia's exploitation of Sudan for funding its war. However, it is evident that Ukrainian special forces have consistently caught Wagner forces off guard, raising doubts about their control over Sudan's mineral wealth. Considering Ukraine's successful attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, which have caused significant losses for state gas giant Gazprom, targeting Russian operations in Sudan could potentially provide a crucial advantage domestically