Wagner mercenaries will not be withdrawn from Africa, says Russia

Source: The Guardian

Wagner mercenaries will not be withdrawn from Africa, says Russia

Sergei Lavrov moves to reassure sub-Saharan allies after recent armed mutiny led by Yevgeny Prigozhin

Jason Burke, Africa correspondent
Mon 26 Jun 2023 17.38 BST
Last modified on Mon 26 Jun 2023 18.17 BST

Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, has moved to reassure allies in Africa that thousands of Wagner group fighters deployed to the continent will not be withdrawn after the mutiny led by their commander Yevgeny Prigozhin over the weekend.

In an interview with Russia Today, Lavrov pledged that “instructors” and “private military contractors” would remain in Central African Republic (CAR) and Mali, the two countries in sub-Saharan Africa where Wagner has the biggest presence.

Both are considered strategic prizes by the Kremlin, which sees them as a springboard to greater influence on the continent and a source of lucrative natural resources.

At their request, several hundred servicemen are working in the CAR as instructors – this work, of course, will continue … Both the CAR and Mali appealed to the Wagner PMCs with a request to ensure the safety of their leadership,” Lavrov said. “Regarding the reports about who is panicking and about what, I did not see any panic. I did not see any changes in the relations of the relevant African countries with the Russian Federation.”

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/26/wagner-soldiers-will-not-be-withdrawn-from-africa-says-russia-foreign-minister

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