On Monday, August 21, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in his first video on the Wagner Group's Telegram channel since his aborted mutiny in Russia in June, claimed he was in Africa, without specifying the exact country. "We're working," said the mercenary leader, looking out from a desert landscape. "The temperature is 50 degrees – just the way we like it. Wagner is making Russia even greater on every continent – and Africa even more free."
Dressed in camouflage attire and donning a bullet-proof vest, Prigozhin was additionally armed with an automatic weapon. Just two months ago, he was described by Vladimir Putin as a "traitor". Today, he is still portrayed on Russian television as an opportunist living a lavish lifestyle fueled by the country's finances.
The businessman had already leaked a few photographs and audio recordings showing that he had no intention of living out a quiet exile in Belarus – a direct contradiction to the Kremlin's June 24 announcement of plans for his exile along with the Wagner fighters who declined to join the official Russian army. His private plane was seen flying back and forth between Belarus, where a camp had been built for his soldiers, and Russia, notably to meet the Russian president in the Kremlin.
Long experience
A photo – not independently authenticated – also showed Prigozhin backstage at the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg in mid-July. This presence seemed to lend credence to the hypothesis that the Kremlin is unwilling or unable to do without the know-how of Wagner, which has a strong presence on the African continent. The group has extensive experience in deploying mercenaries, manipulating public opinion and exploiting natural resources.
The video released on August 21 is further confirmation of this, even if the militia leader is stingy with details. "We hire real strong men and continue working on tasks that were set to us and we promised to carry out," he claimed, referring only to "justice and happiness for the African nations" and the fight against "the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda and other bandits." This is followed by a phone number and e-mail address for potential recruits.
The coup in Niger at the end of July sparked fears that Wagner might move into the country. The paramilitary group has already been present in neighboring Mali since 2021, among other places, and members of the Niger junta have expressed a desire to cooperate with it. While the official Russian position is to call for a return to constitutional order, Prigozhin described the putsch in early August as a "liberation struggle," directed primarily against France, accused of "economic crimes" and encouraging terrorist groups.
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