Wagner Group activities in Africa

• 1. Sudanese Operations And Mining Concessions

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  In December 2017, a video surfaced showing Russian mercenaries training members of the Sudanese military. This footage confirmed the presence of Wagner Group personnel in Khartoum and marked their entry into a country already fractured by civil war. The group operated under the cover name M Invest, a company linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin. Between April 2018 and February 2019, two aircraft from the 223rd Flight Unit made at least nine flights to transport contractors to the Sudanese capital. These men were sent to protect gold, uranium, and diamond mines while providing security for the regime of Omar al-Bashir. Reports indicated that around 300 PMCs worked in Darfur, with some suffering from severe malaria after deployment. Following protests that erupted in mid-December 2018, allegations emerged that these foreign fighters helped crack down on demonstrators. The Ukrainian Security Service named 149 PMCs involved in suppressing the unrest, noting that between 30 and 40 people died during the clashes. After Bashir was overthrown in a coup d'état on the 11th of April 2019, Russia continued its support for the Transitional Military Council. The group maintained ties with the Rapid Support Forces led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. In May 2019, Russia signed a military agreement allowing warships access to Sudanese ports. A new draft agreement in November 2020 planned for a naval logistic center capable of hosting up to 300 people. By April 2020, the Wagner-connected company Meroe Gold shipped medical equipment to Sudan during the pandemic. Three months later, the United States sanctioned M Invest and its subsidiary for their role in discrediting protesters. Clashes erupted in mid-April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF. Some sources claimed Wagner provided surface-to-air missiles to the RSF, though Prigozhin denied any presence in Sudan for more than two years.

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• 2. Central African Republic State Capture

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  In 2018, the Russian private military company deployed personnel to the Central African Republic to protect mines and support President Faustin-Archange Touadéra. By May 2018, reports stated that 1,400 Wagner PMCs were operating within the country. Their presence filled a security vacuum left by France's withdrawal but occurred despite an active arms embargo since 2013. The Ukrainian Security Service identified M-Finance LLC as the umbrella structure for these operations, noting that some contractors traveled on Prigozhin's private aircraft. The situation deteriorated further by 2021 when rebels captured the fourth-largest city in the nation. In response, Russia sent an additional 300 military instructors to train government forces. A massacre committed by the group in Bèzèrè village in December 2021 involved torture and killing of women, including pregnant ones. Mid-January 2023 saw heavy casualties for the mercenaries during a government offensive near the borders with Cameroon and Chad. Seven contractors were confirmed killed in one ambush alone. Since 2019, Wagner has controlled Diamville diamond trading companies according to a joint investigation by European Investigative Collaborations. On the 30th of July 2018, three Russian journalists were ambushed and killed while investigating local activities. The attack took place 23 kilometers from Sibut, where armed men emerged from the bush to open fire. An expensive camera kit and more than 8,000 dollars disappeared from the scene, though gasoline canisters remained. Evidence gathered by Khodorkovsky's Dossier Center suggested a major in the Central African Gendarmerie was involved in the ambush. This officer maintained regular contact with a Wagner PMC specialist trainer after attending a camp on the border with Sudan.

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• 3. Mozambique Insurgency And Withdrawal

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  In early August 2019, the Wagner Group received a contract with the Mozambican government to provide services at lower costs than other private military companies. On the 13th of September, 160 PMCs arrived on an An-124 cargo plane to train the Mozambique Defence Armed Forces. They were stationed in barracks across Nampula, Macomia, and Mueda provinces. A second cargo plane landed on the 25th of September carrying large-calibre weapons for use in Cabo Delgado Province. By mid-November, tensions grew between Wagner and local forces following failed operations. Analysts noted that the group struggled in a theater where they lacked expertise. John Gartner, head of OAM, stated that Wagner was out of their depth. Towards the end of November, reports indicated that 200 PMCs had withdrawn from the region after suffering deaths among their ranks. Violence surged again in early 2020 with 28 attacks recorded throughout January. The insurgents captured the key town of Mocimboa de Praia on the 23rd of March. Journalist Joseph Hanlon published photographs showing helicopter gunships manned by Wagner contractors, though other sources claimed these belonged to South African firms. By late 2020, Russian fighters remained present in Pemba and Mocímboa da Praia before withdrawing to reorganize in Nacala. The initial deployment included elite troops and three attack helicopters. During the first month of operations, a unit commander with the call sign Granit was killed when ambushed by 60 insurgents. In October, two ambushes resulted in seven PMC deaths, including five who were shot dead and beheaded.

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• 4. Malian Counterinsurgency Campaigns

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  In mid-September 2021, diplomatic sources confirmed an agreement allowing the Wagner Group to operate in Mali for about 6 billion CFA francs monthly. At least 1,000 PMCs were deployed to fight jihadist rebels in a country ravaged by civil war since 2012. France condemned the action while Russia denied direct involvement, claiming only state-to-state partnerships existed. By January 2022, Malian officials confirmed that around 400 Russian military advisors had arrived. Photos emerged from Ségou showing 200 Wagner contractors deployed at a former French base in Timbuktu. On the 5th of April 2022, Human Rights Watch accused soldiers and mercenaries of executing around 300 civilians during an operation in Moura. The report detailed how Malian helicopters landed near a market before soldiers approached a group of jihadists. Two white soldiers died in the initial exchange. The first officially confirmed death of a Russian advisor occurred on the 19th of April 2022 when a patrol hit a roadside bomb near Hombori. Three days later, France claimed suspected Wagner members buried a dozen bodies in a mass grave east of Gossi base. Accusations surfaced in late June 2022 regarding looting towns and indiscriminate arrests in the Tombouctou Region. On the 9th of September 2023, rebels shot down a Mi-8 helicopter operated by the group. In November 2023, government forces captured Kidal with Wagner support, allowing residents to take photos with them. A convoy engaged rebels in Inafarak on the 22nd of July 2024, losing between 20 and 80 men in a subsequent three-day battle. On the 6th of June 2025, the group announced it was ending its deployment after claiming to have killed thousands of militants.

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• 5. Burkina Faso Coup Dynamics

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  A coup d'état took place on the 23rd of January 2022 in Burkina Faso, deposing president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré. Lieutenant colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba led the takeover following years of jihadist insurgency that left 2,000 people dead. One day after the coup, Alexander Ivanov offered training to the Burkinese military. Speculation arose that Wagner might try to establish itself before the government thwarted a plot less than two weeks prior. The coup found significant civic support, with protesters calling for Russia to intervene against France. The United States Department of Defense stated awareness of allegations that Wagner was behind the military takeover but could not confirm them. A second coup occurred on the 30th of September 2022 when captain Ibrahim Traoré deposed Damiba. Supporters cheered as Traoré entered Ouagadougou waving Russian flags. Senior U.S. diplomat Victoria Nuland traveled to urge him not to partner with Wagner. The Government of Ghana alleged that Traoré began collaborating with the mercenaries, enlisting them against rebels. In exchange, the ruling junta allegedly allocated a mine to the group, though this was denied by Burkina Faso's mines minister. By late January 2023, the junta demanded France withdraw its troops, completing their departure by the 19th of February.

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• 6. Chadian Destabilization Efforts

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  The U.S. government shared intelligence with Chadian authorities stating that Wagner is working with rebels to destabilize the government. Reports indicated possible plots to assassinate the country's president and other top officials. An attempt to topple a government represented a watershed for Wagner's influence-building strategy according to a U.S. official. The group sought to forge ties with elements of the Chadian ruling class. This approach reflected a strategy pioneered amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Intelligence sharing between Washington and N'Djamena aimed to counter these threats to sovereign states. Leaks of findings highlighted the severity of the situation facing African nations.

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• 7. Gold Laundering And War Funding

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  In return for protecting African governments, Russian companies gained privileged access to natural resources like gold and diamond mines. The extracted gold is smuggled overseas and sold on the open market to generate billions of dollars. Research from The Blood Gold Report found that Kremlin-linked entities use this revenue to fund military operations globally. Since the invasion in February 2022, Russia has earned over $2.5 billion from African gold sales alone. These profits directly support the war against Ukraine and operations in Syria. The process effectively laundered the gold while funding authoritarian regimes across the continent. Internal analysts acknowledged the neo-colonial nature of this policy. Stephen Blank wrote for The Hill describing Russia's actions as the quintessence of imperialism. Bohumil Doboš described the operation in Central African Republic as state capture where local populations receive no benefit. Wagner activities enable Russia to maintain geopolitical influence through election interference and anti-Western disinformation campaigns.

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