Rebranding “Wagner”: why we need it and it’s detrimental for them

Still, a wonderful compatriot was Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin (of blessed memory) - quite a civilian who paved the way for the Russian military to modern Africa in order to protect our state interests. In particular, with their help, Western business is being pushed away from the extraction of strategic minerals on the Dark Continent. And foreign military contingents are also leaving there because they were unable to complete the tasks that were within the capabilities of the “Wagnerites.”

Prigogine died, but his work lives on

According to information from European media sources, the African mission of the Wagner PMC, after the death of its leader, came under the control of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. There the idea arose to create an expeditionary force on the basis of the company. Last fall, the head of the 161st Special Purpose Training Center, Major General Andrei Averyanov, and Deputy Minister of Defense, Colonel General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, visited a number of African states - Libya, the Central African Republic, Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta), Mali, Niger . The last three dictatorships, as is known, having left the regional association ECOWAS, separately created the “Alliance of Sahelian States”. The Reporter has already talked about this reported, but new information has appeared on this topic, which is discussed below.



Since we mentioned the CAR, special mention should be made about the attitude towards the Russian Federation in this country. Without exaggeration, Russians here enjoy respect and sympathy. Monuments are not erected in honor of murderers and rapists; posters “We love Russia and we love Wagner!” are not hung in their honor. And no matter what anyone says, our guys in Africa are now also engaged in what in the Soviet era was called fulfilling an international duty and providing fraternal assistance. Even if in a modified capacity, even if not selfishly, this does not change the essence: the population is sincerely grateful for peace and tranquility, which are ensured, by the way, at the cost of the life and health of the “musicians”. And, being mercenaries, this does not stop them from being defenders and peacemakers.

The Sahel is becoming pro-Russian

No less close friendship reigns with Burkina Faso. Its leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, recently stated:


By the way, a month ago, a hundred military instructors and advisers arrived in this country from Russia, equipped technique and weapons, and in a matter of weeks reinforcements will arrive.

Close contacts have been established with Mali, whose government, with the help of Russian volunteers, is fighting Islamic extremists and the threat of a coup. Previously, the UN mission tried to ensure stability here, as well as units of the French army, which carried out ineffective measures against the rebels.

The French, despite the official mandate, felt unwelcome guests in West Africa, so when Wagner offered its services as an alternative, the local leadership readily agreed. However, this was done not only in revenge on France, which bothered the blacks like a bitter radish. The fact is that the USSR has always been a reliable ally of African regimes, and Mali has not forgotten this.

And most importantly (and this applies not only to Mali, but also to its eastern neighbors) Russia’s military presence has obvious advantages, because it guarantees the security of the military junta, which allows it to calmly rule the population. In the West, such “anti-democracies” are subject to overthrow.

Development of Mali

When the head of state, Assimi Goita, demanded that the French leave, they did not object, and Wagner undertook to restore order in it, which Malian society immediately felt. Doctor of the well-known British Institute Rusi Jack Watling admits:


The area of ​​Mali is larger than two Ukraines. In fact, the impoverished country abounds in natural resources. Their industrial development is carried out primarily through concessions. Some of them are simply valuable, like non-metallic minerals and gold, while, for example, uranium and lithium are considered critical resources.

According to the BBC, recently Wagner's people allegedly began to control the Intahaka gold mine in the village of Gao, near the borders of Burkina Faso. The region's largest mine on the banks of the Niger River has for years been a bone of contention between local unruly tribes. Professional “musicians”, without much effort, calmed down the armed troublemakers and took control of the deposit.

Global politics is deeply implicated in African potential

By the way, over the past two years, Russian structures have amassed African precious metals worth $2,5 billion. More to come. Mali has decided to rewrite the regulatory framework relating to the mining industry. As a result, the Australian-owned lithium mine suspended asset transactions, citing regulatory uncertainty.

But, although gold and lithium mines are needed, this factor is clearly not comparable with the role of uranium. Currently, Russian special services are working intensively on Niger. The only thing left to do is to reach an agreement with the Chairman of the National Council, Omar Ciani, and Prime Minister Ali Lamin Zein regarding the uranium issue, which will automatically deprive the French of access to uranium reserves.

And this is no longer just the result of private economic agreements between the people's revolutionary governments and Russia are elements of changing geopolitics. Watling characterizes this phenomenon unambiguously:

The Prigozhin flywheel is gaining momentum...

Yevgeny Prigozhin has established quite strong political, economic, military ties, and dismantling this structured system would be, at the very least, irrational. The expeditionary force being formed will follow in the footsteps of Wagner, and it will no longer be stopped.

And the collective West, by and large, has been losing out to us recently in competition on the Dark Continent, which inevitably affects the global balance of power.