Mercenary group expands its stretch in Africa

Russia’s concerted push into Africa is re-establishing the country’s strongest links with the continent since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Trade with Africa grew to $20.4bn in 2018 while Russia has signed military agreements with 21 African countries. A Scorpio investigation reveals that this modern-day ‘scramble for Africa’ by Russia as well as China, India, Turkey, the Arab League, South Korea, the EU, France and Japan has taken place in the vacuum presented by Washington’s retreat from the continent. However, the investigation finds that Russia’s presence in Africa is not without controversy with the shadowy private mercenary Wagner group piggybacking on Russia’s foothold in several war-torn countries. Its funder is Yevgeny Prigozhin – nicknamed ‘Putin’s chef’ – who has clandestinely led Russia’s push into Africa over at least the past three years. Wagner functions as an undeclared branch of the Russian military.

A former KGB operative now based in the West described Wagner’s meteoric rise in Africa as one of the most successful Russian military intelligence operations of all time. In June, The Guardian revealed that documents obtained from the Dossier Centre, show extensive Prigozhin-linked operations and the Kremlin plotted to turn Africa into a strategic hub to displace US and European powers. One of the goals is to see off ‘pro-western’ uprisings – an apparent reference to combating opposition movements. The Scorpio investigation reveals that documents show ‘the Company’ taking credit for the election of Madagascar’s new President Andry Rajoelina and that Russia had produced and distributed the island’s biggest newspaper. Wagner also advised Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on how to crush opposition protests in Khartoum, but the company has still been able to maintain its relationship with the new administration brought into power as a result of those protests. The investigation finds that the rapid success of the Wagner enterprise has also opened the way for a second generation of Russian private military companies. Two new companies, Patriot and Sew Security Services, have begun operations in Africa during the past year.