The presence of mercenaries from the private company Wagner in Mali “it would be incompatible with the international and European presence “, warned Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Foreign Minister, on September 16, 2021, about Franceinfo. The head of French diplomacy was reacting to possible cooperation between Mali and the paramilitary group. But who is this Wagner group and why is it causing so much concern? Here are some elements of understanding.
A private military company
Wagner or PMC Wagner is a Russian mercenary company created by Dmitri Outkin, a former officer of the GRU (Russian Military Intelligence). The paramilitary group has been known since 2014 for its involvement in the conflict in Ukraine and for its intervention in Syria a year later, in the wake of the Russian army. the Wagner group it would be financed by a Russian oligarch, Evguéni Prigojine. Nicknamed “the cook of the Kremlin,” the businessman, close to Vladimir Poutine, made his fortune in the restaurant business before closing numerous contracts with the Russian army. The latter is also accused by Washington of being the instigator of the Internet Research Agency, a “troll factory” specializes in mass publishing false news and biased messages on the Internet.
A geopolitical “tool”
Officially, Wagner does not exist in Russia, where private military companies are banned. But, in reality, this illegal group is a geopolitical instrument in the service of Moscow. “A corporation of private military companies would be an effective tool to achieve national objectives without requiring the direct participation of the Russian state”, Said Putin in 2012, quoted by the Open Diplomacy Institute. The European think tank emphasizes that sending “volunteers” abroad is part of Moscow’s strategy to strengthen its influence, avoiding appearing openly on the front lines.
Opaque Missions in Africa
The first known deployment of Wagner’s “private agents” on the African continent took place in 2018 in the Central African Republic. It intervenes within the framework of a military cooperation agreement that allows Moscow to benefit from mining concessions in exchange for its services. But the presence of Russian “instructors” and their mission remain opaque. The group operates simultaneously in Libya, in the service of General Haftar, head of the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army. Officer training, oil site protection, information … “A multifaceted modus operandi“, according to the Institute of Open Diplomacy which is available in other areas of Africa, such as Sudan under Omar al-Bashir or even Mozambique. They are often States in search of economic, political or security support.
Abuses and interrogations
Sub-Saharan Africa often turns to private military companies due to the weakness of government institutions in some countries and the need to protect mining sites, as explained a study of the Peace and Security Research and Information Group (GRIP), a Belgian research centre. But the presence and role of Wagner’s group is opaque, has no legal framework, and raises many questions.
In July 2018, three russian journalists The opposition tried to investigate Wagner’s activities in the Central African Republic and its links to the country’s mineral wealth, but he died there under mysterious conditions. The official version found a heinous crime, although no serious investigation has been carried out so far.
Also in the Central African Republic, UN reports have recently denounced serious human rights violations attributable to private Russian military companies. And as the ghost company Wagner does not have a legal existence in Russia, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to establish responsibilities and punish the guilty. Another injustice in Africa, where crimes often go unpunished.