Two Russian political influencers close to the Wagner group, Maksim Shugaley and Samir Seïfan, were arrested on Thursday, September 19, upon their arrival at Ndjamena airport. The information was revealed Saturday evening by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then confirmed by a Chadian government source.
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With our correspondent in Ndjamena, Carol Valade
” The two men were arrested by state services. “, our source said, without giving further details. They reportedly landed in Ndjamena last Thursday, where the authorities informed them that they were not allowed to cross the border. They then completely disappeared from the radar, according to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
Maksim Shugaley has already visited Chad twice this year, without any problems. The first time was to meet supporters of President Mahamat Deby just before the presidential election, and then to visit the Russian Cultural Center in Ndjamena.
Also readChad: Maksim Shugaley, Russian influencer under sanctions, in Ndjamena during the election
He is under American and European sanctions, in particular because of his links with the Wagner group. This specialist in political influence campaigns in Africa has intervened in Madagascar, the Central African Republic, Mali and Libya, where he spent a year and a half in prison for attempted electoral interference. This was in 2019 and Yevgeny Prigozhinin person, had then intervened for his release.
The Russian embassy in Chad says it is in contact with the authorities to obtain clarifications. This double questioning comes at a time when relations between the two countries are experiencing a phase of warming, since the visit to Moscow of President Mahamat Déby in January 2024, then that of the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov, last June, in Ndjamena.