InsiderBLM Africa
The former head of Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, had a diverse background, from being a hot dog vendor and restaurant owner to securing lucrative government catering contracts. However, his life came to a tragic end with a fatal jet crash on August 23rd.
Just weeks before the crash, Vladimir Putin had emphasized the need to counter Western neo-colonialism during the Russia-Africa summit. Despite Prigozhin’s demise, analysts believe that Russia’s Africa strategy remains unchanged.
“Prigozhin served as a CEO, which implies that the organization operates independently of him. The entire infrastructure associated with this organization, including its role in financing, money laundering, and other aspects, particularly in Africa, remains intact,” explained Yan St-Pierre of the Eastern Circles think tank.
“Russian military officials, including the deputy defense minister, minister, and military intelligence officials, have engaged with several African countries,” added Pauline Bax, Deputy Director of the Africa Program at the International Crisis Group.
“They visited countries like the Central African Republic, Mali, and established contacts with leaders in Burkina Faso. The message conveyed to these leaders is that the Russian Defense Ministry will now take over or supervise the Wagner group.”
On August 25, President Putin issued a decree mandating members of Russian paramilitary groups, often referred to as volunteer groups, and other state-run security entities to pledge allegiance to Russia and adhere to the Russian military chain of command.
In 2022, Moscow surpassed Beijing as Sub-Saharan Africa’s primary arms supplier.
“A significant portion of Russia’s recent actions, particularly through Wagner, can be seen as a direct challenge to France,” remarked Pauline Bax. “Russia has primarily targeted former French colonies in Africa, and this approach has yielded results. However, Russia does not invest in development aid or humanitarian assistance.”
“What Russia excels at is offering an alternative to what Western countries have traditionally provided for decades,” noted Yan St-Pierre. “Their willingness to support younger leaders and their nonjudgmental stance toward human rights abuses has been well-received.”
During the latest UN General Assembly, where Africa is a prominent regional bloc, African leaders expressed their condemnation of foreign paternalism. Guinea’s transitional president, for example, emphasized his country’s stance as being neither pro-Russian, pro-U.S., pro-Turkish, nor pro-any other nation but pro-African.
