In the middle of Bangui, between the university and the football stadium, there is a special monument. It shows four soldiers in battle formation. One of them aims the target through binoculars, the other three have their machine guns at the ready. It is not clear which enemy the group has in mind. All that is clear is that the monument is dedicated to the Wagner group. It stylizes Russian mercenaries traveling in Africa on behalf of Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Bangui is the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), one of the poorest countries in the world. The average life expectancy of men in the CAR is 52 years. On average, one teacher cares for 83 primary school children. The country is ranked 188 in the Human Development Report of the United Nations (UNDP 2021). And therefore in last place.
The frightening thing is that the republic is actually very rich. Especially in mineral resources such as gold, diamonds and the heavy metal uranium that is needed for the production of nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. But the exploitation of these treasures does not benefit the population. Instead, the income from the gold and uranium mines goes mainly to the pockets of a wealthy upper class, the autocratic government – and for some time also to the pockets of the Wagner group.
Witness: Attacked and killed by Wagner’s mercenaries
The mercenary army has been active in the Central African Republic since 2017 at the latest. A year earlier, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, a former math professor preparing to secure his power with the help of the Wagner mercenaries, had been elected president of ZAR. As US television channel CBS reports, Wagner mercenaries sponsored Touadéra’s campaign events leading up to the 2021 election, which saw the incumbent president secure a second term in office.
In return, according to media reports, Touadéra relinquished a significant number of mining rights to the Prigozhin company. To exploit these mineral rights, the Russian paramilitaries use particularly brutal methods. According to eyewitnesses, they used brutal force in many places to drive out local miners. The family of a prospector, who was searching for the precious metal in a small village, was allegedly attacked by Wagner soldiers and their company taken over.
‘They stole everything. Then they burned down our house,” a man named Usman told CBS. The man’s sisters were allegedly raped and his younger brother killed. According to his own statement, he was tortured in a makeshift prison. in a sack for days, which they tied with a rope, but Usman managed to escape.
«A dog dies the death of a dog»
The brutal methods of the Wagner group are also known from other problem areas around the world. Syria, Libya, Chad, Mali and recently Ukraine. Wherever Prigozhin’s henchmen appear, they spread fear and terror. Prigozhin himself repeatedly flaunts his coolness in videos. Anyone who disobeys the orders of the Wagner commanders risks death.
After his men used a sledgehammer to kill a fighter who defected to Ukraine in November 2022 and shared the video of the execution on social networks, Prigozhin mocked: “A dog dies a dog’s death.”
Wagner’s actions in Syria or in some African countries have been described as equally bloodthirsty. At the same time, the African continent has long since become a new arena for disputes over global spheres of influence between the superpowers China, the US and Russia.
Is the war in Ukraine also financed by the robbery in Africa?
While China leaves its footprint mainly in the form of long-term trade deals, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin uses more robust methods. With the help of Prigozhin, whom Putin knows from their time together in St. Petersburg, the Kremlin ruler also seizes power in Africa and secures geopolitical influence. At the same time, the interventions of the Wagner mercenaries reportedly brought Prigozhin billions in revenue and provided the Kremlin with raw materials.
While Russia promises “peace and stability” to African states if they cooperate with Russian mercenaries, secret services such as the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) see the involvement of Prigozhin’s troops as an indication that the countries involved are sinking into political chaos. is overthrown and replaced by warlords loyal to Wagner. According to the CIA, Wagner is said to have planned an assassination attempt on the current president in Chad.
Access to mineral resources in Africa, such as the CAR’s gold and diamond mines, could also guarantee that Prigozhin and Putin can continue the war in Ukraine as they do now, with undiminished intensity and ferocity. “Or how else to explain that despite all the embargoes, Russia continues as if nothing happened?” Usman asks CBS. “It’s kind of like magic.”
Early this year, however, the Kremlin felt compelled to sell gold and foreign exchange reserves to cover Russia’s budget deficit. According to the state news agency TASS, a total of 2.27 billion yuan (about 309 million euros) and 3.6 tons of gold have been sold. So the embargo against Moscow has a certain effect. However, it did not bring a change of heart to those involved.
Prigozhin himself is on the international sanctions list. So far apparently without serious consequences. On the contrary, the Kremlin-loyal oligarch now has a multinational corporation with his Wagner group, which experts classify as a criminal syndicate.
The gold would be flown to Russia in huge cargo planes
Experts estimate that between 1,200 and 2,000 Wagner mercenaries are active in ZAR alone. Some even assume that there are as many as 3,000 Russian paramilitaries. They ensure that President Touadéra remains in power and that the systematic land grab runs smoothly. Touadéra allegedly granted Wagner exclusive contracts with terms of up to 25 years for the use of gold mines. According to research by Statistics Netherlands, the precious metal will first be flown by huge cargo planes via Bangui Airport to the United Arab Emirates and then transported to Moscow.
African mineral resources would also help fund the war in Ukraine. There, Prigozhin’s troops have been besieging the city of Bakhmut for months.
But Wagner’s men wouldn’t just plunder gold, diamonds and uranium. They also focus on Africa’s timber. As the CBS investigation shows, under the protective guise of various front companies, the group allegedly ships bulk timber from the Central African Republic to Russia via ports in neighboring Cameroon. In this way, Wagner also contributes to the fact that the forests in the ZAR are also being cut down at a rapid pace.
According to experts, the looting of raw materials by Wagner Prigozhin and his men brings in billions of dollars. All this is done with the approval of the autocratic government in ZAR.
It is impossible to say to what extent the Kremlin also benefits from the deals. What is certain is that Vladimir Putin has willing helpers in Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner mercenaries, who ensure the dictator’s influence in different parts of the world. And they also reliably bring death and destruction.
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
