ASSESSMENTS

The Wagner Group's 'New Path' in Africa

Jul 21, 2023 | 15:24 GMT

Smoke billows north of the Khartoum Bahri district on July 17, 2023, as fighting continues in war-torn Sudan.
Smoke billows north of the Khartoum Bahri district on July 17, 2023, as fighting continues in war-torn Sudan.

(Photo by AFP)

The recent suggestion that the Wager Group will refocus on operations in Africa could see small influxes of mercenaries support the longevity of military rule through enhanced personal security support, while the repercussions for ongoing conflicts ranging from Libya to Sudan will be much more varied. On July 19, Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group, appeared in a video reposted by Prigozhin's press service on Telegram, in which he told soldiers and supporters that they would no longer take part in the Ukraine war for the time being but to prepare for "a new path to Africa." Prigozhin apparently spoke from Belarus and called the war in Ukraine "a disgrace that we do not need to get involved in," despite the Wagner Group's heavy participation in Russia's invasion of Ukraine until Prigozhin's failed mutiny on June 23-24, which ended with a reported deal between Prigozhin and Russian...

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