What the Wagner group are really after in Africa

Since its emergence in 2014 during the Russian annexation of Crimea, the Wagner Group has become a notorious mercenary organisation operating under the guise of plausible deniability for Russia’s military operations.

The group’s atrocities and exploitative actions are not confined to a single region but have now extended to Africa, including countries such as Libya, the Central African Republic (CAR), Niger, and Sudan. The question remains: How has this illegal group of mercenaries been given carte blanche across the continent with no condemnation or repercussions when it is clear that the Russian Federation and its president Vladimir Putin are utilising the Wagner Group for their own African agenda?

Broken down, it is evident that there is something bigger at play than a rag-tag military group setting up camp in random fashion across the continent. There is a power play happening for Africa’s rich natural resources in most countries where the group operates, signifying a much more elaborate plan for the Russian Federation.

The Central African Republic is a country with a host of natural resources such as gold, uranium, iron ore, copper, and manganese. It is also here in the CAR that the Wagner Group has been implicated in horrifying human rights abuses, including targeted killings, violence against civilians, sexual violence, and forced displacement. By deepening instability and fuelling ethnic tensions, the group has hindered the country’s prospects for peace and progress. Peace would mean progress, and progress would mean stability. This is not conducive to Russia’s play for the continent, as chaos breeds opportunity.. Without chaos, how else would the pillaging of the country’s natural resources go almost completely unnoticed?

Sudan’s most precious natural resource is gold, and this has been almost too easy to exploit, as evidence suggests that the Wagner Group’s presence in Sudan is linked to its smuggling operations for gold to fund their illegal invasion of Ukraine, revealing an extremely concerning Russian agenda.

There is, however, some sentimental attachment to the group in Sudan, as their involvement in the Darfur conflict has been extensively documented.

 By supporting Sudanese government forces and engaging in gross human rights violations, including bombings, destruction of civilian infrastructure, and targeting minority groups, the group has exacerbated the suffering of vulnerable populations and undermined peace efforts.

In Niger, the presence of the Wagner Group has received substantially less attention. However, this is a country, albeit one of Africa’s most politically unstable, that is rich in natural resources. Niger boasts vast reserves of uranium, coal, gold, and petroleum. Again, using the broken political system, a coup d’état, and fragmented military rule as the backdrop, the group has made it glaringly clear that the end game is focused on what can be pillaged from this west African country for Russia’s own gain.

Since 2019, the Wagner group has played a crucial role in Russia’s involvement in Libya.

The mercenary group became involved in the Libyan situation by aligning themselves with militia leader Khalifa Haftar.

Their intervention was intended to provide support for Haftar’s offensive against the government based in Tripoli. Following a 14-month siege of Libya’s capital, which ended in failure, Wagner fighters were redeployed to an array of oil facilities in both central Libya and the southwest.

 Again, moving closer to what Libya has in plenty.

In Mali, the Wagner Group has been operating since 2021 under the guise of clamping down on Al Qaeda-affiliated groups in the village of Moura. A closer look clearly indicates that there is much more at play in the West African nation. After all, this is one of the continent’s most naturally rich states. Mali has an abundance of gold, diamonds, rock salt, phosphates, semi-precious stones, bauxite, iron ore, and manganese. This example demonstrates Russia’s strategy of spreading influence through deniable means, a tactic that threatens regional stability and undermines efforts for peace and security.

The Wagner Group’s immersion in Africa coincides with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “Africa First” strategy and his attempts to establish closer ties with African leaders. However, it is crucial to unveil the true nature of Russia’s efforts and address the exploitation and manipulation at play.

The international community must promptly acknowledge the malicious actions of the Wagner Group and Russia in Africa.

Ceasar Abangira, is a Ugandan journalist.