Growing Eastern European threat in Africa

The growing eastern european threat in Africa

The mercenary group Wagner, led by Chief Yevgeni Pagosan, who has been exiled to Belarus. Many of his soldiers have followed him there after a failed mutiny in Russia. There are conflicting reports on whether the mutiny was controlled by the Russian government. However, the group's presence in Africa is intensifying. Mali's military junta has been sanctioned by the U.S due to their links to Wagner. This raises concerns about the seriousness of Wagner's activities on the African continent.

The Wagner troops may have withdrawn from Africa to fight in the Ukraine war. However, their presence in Ukraine did not have a significant impact. There are indications that after a mutiny or coup attempt, some of the troops, possibly around 10,000, may be redirected to Africa. This is concerning because their main operation is in the Central African Republic, where they have essentially taken control of the state. They support the president in exchange for mineral contracts and brutally suppress any opposition. They also have a growing presence in Mali and are expanding into other countries like Burkina Faso and Sudan. They have been involved in the Libyan Civil War for years, fighting against the recognized government alongside rebel Khalifa Haftar. Overall, they are a formidable and threatening group.

Wow, Africa must be dealing with a lot of money here. Money is often seen as the root of all evil, right? So, it's no surprise that there's a ton of money involved in this situation. I think what's happening is that some people are taking advantage of the chaos that exists in certain parts of Africa. Not every place in Africa is chaotic, but in countries like Mali, for example, things have been pretty crazy. In fact, the French and Western forces have been pushed out of Mali by the locals. So yeah, there's definitely a lot of money at play here.

Wow, Africa must be dealing with a lot of money here. Money is often seen as the root of all evil, right? So, it's no surprise that there's a ton of money involved in this situation. I think what's happening is that some people are taking advantage of the chaos that exists in certain parts of Africa. Not every place in Africa is chaotic, but in countries like Mali, for example, things have been pretty crazy. In fact, the French and Western forces have been pushed out of Mali by the locals. So yeah, there's definitely a lot of money at play here.

Well, Africa must be dealing with a lot of money here. Money is often seen as the root of all evil, right? So, it's no surprise that there's a ton of money involved in this situation. I think what's happening is that some people are taking advantage of the chaos that exists in certain parts of Africa. Not every place in Africa is chaotic, but in countries like Mali, for example, things have been pretty crazy. In fact, the French and Western forces have been pushed out of Mali by the locals. So yeah, there's definitely a lot of money at play here.

It seems to me that the way they work is kind of like those old Warlords you hear about. They live off the land, you know, taking things and causing trouble. From the Russian government's perspective, it's a sneaky and cheap way to compete with Western governments and have influence in Africa. It's like they can pretend they're not involved on the international stage. They target countries like Central African Republic, Mali, Libya, and more. If you look at reports on what they do in Africa, there's one by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime that's really good. It shows how much they're involved, and it's not just military stuff. The Wagner group, as a whole, has other operations too. Like, they went to Madagascar before the elections and tried to bribe candidates with money. They kept changing sides because they didn't know who would win.

The aforementioned certainly have the west concerned because as stated earlier this could be Russia's way of expanding and exerting influence in Africa but truth be told if this means an era of peace, rebuilding stability and ushering prosperity where beforehand there was chaos then Africans will welcome this era as it will relief them of sorrows and anguish. How far their reach truly goes we are unsure but we are sure of one thing they're not the only ones doing this and they're certainly not the last ones given the history of Africa in general.

Authored by Dumisa Mbunge