Yevgueni Prigojine assured in a video released Wednesday July 19 that the Russian paramilitary group would leave the Ukrainian front to focus on Africa, after its abortive rebellion on June 24 against the Kremlin. One of Prigojine’s right-hand men, Alexander Ivanov, also claimed that Wagner counted ” expand its presence on the African continent.
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Will Wagner definitely leave the Ukrainian front to focus on his activities in Africa? In any case, this is the meaning of the message delivered by Evgueni Prigojine in a video. It is not known when this video was shot, but it circulated Wednesday evening on the Russian paramilitary group’s Telegram channels. We see its founder addressing some of his men, in what would be a camp in Belarus.
” You have done a lot for Russia. Today what is happening at the front is a shame in which we do not have to participatehe says. Therefore, it was decided that we will stay here in Belarus for a while. Then we set off on a new path, to Africa “. These words of Yevgueni Prigozhin in front of a group of fighters are the first since the audio message of June 26 in which he justified his (aborted) rebellion against the Kremlin.
He pronounced them in the company of his right arm Dimitri Utkin, a neo-Nazi who gave his nom de guerre, Wagner, to the group of mercenaries, and assures that ” this is not the end, but the beginning of a great work that will soon be accomplished ».
Wagner doesn’t count” draw the curtain on Africa »
At the same time, one of his main lieutenants, Alexander Ivanov, published a new press release on the Community of Officers for International Security (COSI) channel, which oversees the deployment of mercenaries on the continent.
He writes that African governments are getting in touch “ direct » with private military companies, that « official Russia has nothing to do with it ” and ” employees of the Russian Ministry of Defense do not work in the Central African Republic “.
Read alsoCentral African Republic: a Wagner executive ensures that the group’s activities continue in the country
The affirmation of a direct contractual link contradicts the official discourse in Bangui and Bamako. Minister-adviser to President Touadéra, Fidèle Gouandjika reaffirmed on RFI three weeks ago that the country had signed ” a defense agreement with Russia and not with Wagner “, and that Moscow had “ subcontracted to Wagner. While Bamako always speaks of a relationship ” state to state “, allowing the presence” instructors and not mercenaries.
In the same message, Alexander Ivanov assures that the African assets of Evgueni Prigojine, have been ” sold “, unverifiable information, but that the group does not count “ draw the curtain on Africa, but expand its presence despite the changing trade structure in Africa “.
Read alsoRussian influences in Africa – Le dossier de RFI