Russia Steps Out From Shadows In Africa With State Paramilitary
With the rise of a paramilitary force that analysts say is controlled by the Kremlin, Russia is openly expanding its state military footprint in Africa, after years of distancing itself from mercenaries deployed on the continent to support pro-Russian rulers.
Russia is using the Africa Corps force to increase its influence in particular in francophone west Africa where the presence of former colonial master France is dwindling.
Africa Corps, which is believed to be run by the Russian defence ministry, is stepping up its presence and filling the gap left by Wagner, the mercenary group founded by the late Yevgeny Prigozhin, which announced its departure from Mali in early June.
The Kremlin always denied it was behind Wagner, whose founder died in a plane crash in 2023 after earlier that year leading his fighters in an unprecedented but short-lived rebellion where they advanced towards Moscow.
"The usage of plausible deniability is now replaced by managed visibility," Tbilisi-based security researcher Nicholas Chkhaidze told AFP.
"The transfer of Wagner assets in Mali to Africa Corps, which is a state-coordinated mechanism of influence is more than symbolic, as it demonstrates a strategic transition from proxy to a power chain operated by the government."
Africa Corps is expanding its presence as Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, which are led by juntas who seized power in coups between 2020 and 2023, have turned away from France and moved closer to Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow intended to develop comprehensive cooperation with African countries. "This cooperation also extends to such sensitive areas as defence and security," he said.
Wagner, whose brutal methods have been denounced by rights groups, is Russia's best-known mercenary group.
Following Prigozhin's death, the Russian defence ministry has worked to incorporate Wagner units and dismantle some of its operations.
According to the RAND Corporation, a research organisation, Russian mercenaries are clearly present in five countries apart from Mali: Burkina Faso, Libya, Niger, Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
Christopher Faulkner, of the US Naval War College, said the transition was both a pragmatic and a symbolic step.
"The handover to Africa Corps means that Russia is comfortable having a ministry of defence asset openly operating there," he told AFP.
According to the Institute for the Study of War, the Central African Republic is the "last bastion" of Wagner operations in Africa, with the Russian defence ministry trying to replace Wagner with Africa Corps there, too.
Beverly Ochieng, an Africa analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the Kremlin sees the Sahel as a region where the Russians can have a geopolitical strategic presence and counter Western influence.
"The Kremlin will continue to provide direct support to Africa Corps, they'll continue sending in shipments of equipment and weapons," she said.
"We'll see a steady pace of violence by the Al-Qaeda group in resistance to the involvement of Russia," she added.
However, the Institute for the Study of War warned the shift to more overt Russian state presence in Africa could lead to "myriad domestic and geopolitical risks for the Kremlin".
"The risk to Russian prestige may lead Russia to get more deeply entrenched in long-term conflicts to 'save face', which would ensnare the Kremlin in its own series of 'forever wars'", the think tank said.
"Wagner was more immune to such long-term entanglements and even abruptly withdrew from places, such as Mozambique, when the benefits outweighed the costs."
Analysts do not expect tactics of the Russian paramilitary groups to change despite the shift, pointing to human rights violations.
"It is not unlikely to expect that the Africa Corps could present a more professional approach, but the operational playbook of including violence will remain intact," said Chkhaidze.
"The brutal counterinsurgency tactics, such as massacres and collective punishment, are structural, not just personal," he added.
According to the RAND Corporation, at least half of Africa Corps' personnel are Wagner veterans, with priority given to those who fought in Ukraine, many of them former convicts.
According to a report published last week by a journalist collective, in its more than three years in Mali, Wagner kidnapped, detained and tortured hundreds of civilians.
The victims, who were interviewed by a consortium of reporters led by investigative outlet Forbidden Stories, spoke about waterboarding, beatings with electrical cables and being burned with cigarette butts.
Bakary Sambe, executive director at the Timbuktu Institute think tank in Dakar, said for Malians the distinction between the two Russian paramilitary groups was largely artificial.
"In the eyes of the population, this is merely a name change with no positive developments in one of the worst security situations in 10 years," Sambe said. Wagner, whose brutal methods in Africa have been denounced by rights groups, is Russia's best-known mercenary group AFP Africa Corps is expanding its presence as France's influence is diminishing in west Africa AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
2 hours ago
- DW
Iranian nuclear program 'devastated'— US defense secretary – DW – 06/22/2025
US Secretary of Defense Hegseth called strikes on Iran that included 14 bunker-busting 30,000-pound bombs an "overwhelming success." Iran's top diplomat defended the country's right to "a legitimate response."US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday called military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities "an incredible and overwhelming success" that had "obliterated Iran's nuclear ambitions." Hegseth said neither Iranian troops nor civilians had been targeted in the US operation. Just hours after the airstrikes on Iran, Hegseth echoed President Trump, claiming the US "seeks peace." He went on to say, "We will act swiftly and decisively when our people, our partners or our interests are threatened." Hegseth praised Trump for the operation, which he said had been months in the making: "The operation President Trump planned was bold and it was brilliant, showing the world that American deterrence is back. When this president speaks, the world should listen." Iranian media have reported "massive" blasts in the southern city of Bushehr, home to Iran's only nuclear reactor. Iranian authorities have not yet reported any problem at the plant, which is operated with Russian assistance. The cause of the blasts was not immediately clear. China's Foreign Ministry has criticized the US attacks on Iran, saying they "escalate tensions in the Middle East" and go against the UN Charter. Among other things, it said it condemned the targeting of nuclear facilities supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency. "China calls on all parties to the conflict, especially Israel, to cease fire as soon as possible," the ministry said in a statement. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that the US attacks on nuclear sites were the result of an "irresponsible" decision that goes against international law. "The irresponsible decision to subject the territory of a sovereign state to missile and bomb attacks, whatever the arguments it may be presented with, flagrantly violates international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council," the ministry said in a statement. "We call for an end to aggression and for increased efforts to create conditions for returning the situation to a political and diplomatic track," the ministry said. Bahrain and Kuwait, both of which host US military bases, have begun preparing for the possibility of military attacks in their countries after US forces bombed Iranian nuclear sites. Tehran previously pledged to target US military bases in the region in retaliation for any attacks. Bahrain hosts the headquarters of the US Navy's 5th Fleet, while Kuwait is home to several key US bases. On Sunday, Bahrain's Interior Ministry advised drivers to avoid main roads, and nearly two-thirds of government employees were instructed to work from home. "In light of recent developments in the regional security situation, we urge citizens and residents to use main roads only when necessary, to maintain public safety and to allow the relevant authorities to use the roads efficiently," the Interior Ministry wrote on X. Kuwait has set up numerous shelters in a sprawling ministerial complex. Earlier this week, Bahraini authorities announced the activation of a national civil emergency plan and conducted air-raid siren testing across the country. Middle East security analyst Giorgio Cafiero on Sunday told DW that there has been "a lot [of] talk about how Iran was going to retaliate against countries in the neighborhood that possibly played a role in facilitating the US strikes." But Cafiero pointed out that the US bombs were not launched from any country in the region or flown through their airspace — delivered instead directly from the US via bomber and from a nearby submarine — which means Iran's neighbors might be spared. "I don't think Iran would consider lashing out against a country in the region," Cafiero said. Germany's ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, has reiterated calls for a hostage deal and an end to the war in Gaza following the return to Israel of the body of a German-Israeli killed and abducted in the Hamas-led militant attacks of October 7, 2023. The dead hostage, Shay Levinson, a soldier, was just 19 years old when he was killed in the attack. "I just spoke to his father; our hearts are with his family and all others waiting for their loved one's return," Seiffert wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "There must be a deal to get them out and end this war," he wrote. Before becoming ambassador, Seibert, a former TV journalist, was the spokesman for the German government under Chancellor Angela Merkel. Iran's foreign minister will travel to Moscow on Sunday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin the next day, he announced from Turkey. "I'm going to Moscow this afternoon" and will hold "serious consultations with the Russian president tomorrow" morning, Abbas Araghchi said at a press conference in Istanbul on the sidelines of a summit for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has responded to calls from Britain and the EU to return to negotiations by saying Iran had never left them. "Last week, we were in negotiations with the US when Israel decided to blow up that diplomacy," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "This week, we held talks with the E3/EU when the US decided to blow up that diplomacy. What conclusion would you draw?," he wrote, in reference to Friday negotiations with the UK, France and Germany. "To Britain and the EU High Rep, it is Iran which must 'return' to the table. But how can Iran return to something it never left, let alone blew up?" The Israeli military says it has recovered the remains of three hostages killed and abducted during the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. It identified them as Yonatan Samerano, 21, Ofra Keidar, 71, and Shay Levinson, 19, giving their ages at the time of their deaths. The remains were discovered on Saturday in a coastal area of Gaza during a joint special operation by the military and the domestic intelligence service, Shin Bet, the Israeli army said. The families of the dead hostages were informed after the remains were identified by forensic examination, the army reported. During the attack, the militants killed 1,200, mostly civilians and abducted 251 people. Hamas is still holding some 50 hostages, less than half of whom are believed to be still alive. Israel's subsequent offensive on Gaza has so far killed over 55,000, according to figures provided by health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave, which the United Nations considers reliable. Just hours after the US announced that it had attacked three nuclear sites in Iran, effectively joining Israel, digital alerts sounded in Israel, followed by air raid sirens warning of incoming missiles. In a large underground car park in central Tel Aviv, many people had slept there overnight in small tents pitched on the fourth underground floor. Others made their way to the shelter from the neighborhood. "I think we all waited for Trump to help us. I thought it would take more time, but here they are actually helping us now,' said Gabi, 32, who declined to give her last name. 'I feel safe here. I don't feel anxious, and we can't hear much down here." However, he admitted that the conflict had now moved in an unknown direction. "You can see on people's faces that they are worried. But I hope this will bring about change for the people of Iran too." Dakar Levi has also been sleeping in a small tent provided by Brothers in Arms, an organization that has set up the space as a shelter. She feels that this conflict is much more destructive than previous ones with the militant group Hamas in Gaza or the Lebanese group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Some missiles have evaded Israel's defence shield and hit residential areas, leaving a trail of destruction. "I think it was supposed to happen a long time ago, but I think our defence wasn't good enough to fight all those missiles. Now we have the defence, and this has to end. They have said for a long time that they want to destroy the Jewish state." Levi hopes that the US joining Israel in attacking Iran might shorten the conflict. If not, she is prepared to stay for weeks to come. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday called a meeting of the government's security cabinet following the US attacks on Iran. According to his spokesman, Stefan Kornelius, Merz also urged Iran "to immediately start negotiations with the US and Israel and come to a diplomatic resolution of the conflict." Kornelius said the German government believed that "large parts of the Iranian nuclear program had been affected by the airstrikes," but added that a precise analysis of the damage would be possible later. The US has bombed three of the Islamic Republic's key nuclear sites in Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz, following Israeli strikes on Iran which have lasted for over a week, prompting a war between the two countries. The attack on the underground fuel enrichment site at Fordo used so-called bunker-buster bombs that are designed to penetrate into the ground before detonating, US media reported. The US is the only country with military capability of dropping the weapon. The US attacks came after a week of open conflict between Israel and Iran triggered by Israel's June 13 launching of attacks against Iran's nuclear and military infrastructure. US President Donald Trump has claimed that the Iranian facilities were "completely and fully obliterated" in the attacks, claims that have yet to be verified. Iran's Atomic Energy Organization has confirmed the attacks, but insisted its nuclear program will not be stopped. The US, Israel and several other countries have often expressed fears that the Islamic Republic is developing nuclear weapons, though Tehran has always denied the accusations. Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog agency, the IAEA, said there were no immediate signs of radioactive leakage at the three locations following the strikes. Iran launched several waves of missiles against Israel following the attacks. There have been mixed reactions to the attacks from other countries, with several calling for a return to diplomacy rather than military action. The EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, has called on all sides in the US-Israel-Iran conflict to resume negotiations, while insisting that international security would be under threat if Iran developed a nuclear weapon. Kallas, who is also a vice-president of the European Commission, said in her post on X, formerly Twitter, that the EU's foreign ministers would hold a meeting on Monday to discuss the current situation. "Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, as it would be a threat to international security. I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation," she wrote.
Int'l Business Times
3 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Ukraine Army Chief Vows To Expand Strikes On Russia
Ukraine's top military commander vowed to increase the "scale and depth" of strikes on Russia in remarks made public Sunday, saying Kyiv would not sit idly by while Moscow prolonged its three-year invasion. Diplomatic efforts to end the war have stalled in recent weeks. The last direct meeting between the two sides was almost three weeks ago and no follow-up talks have been scheduled. Russian attacks on Ukraine have killed dozens of people during the interim, including in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, according to officials. "We will not just sit in defence. Because this brings nothing and eventually leads to the fact that we still retreat, lose people and territories," Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky told reporters including AFP. Syrsky said Ukraine would continue its strikes on Russian military targets, which he said had proved "effective". "Of course, we will continue. We will increase the scale and depth," he said. Ukraine has launched retaliatory strikes on Russia throughout the war, targeting energy and military infrastructure sometimes hundreds of kilometres from the front line. Kyiv says the strikes are a fair response to deadly Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilians. In wide-ranging remarks, Syrsky also conceded that Russia had some advantages in drone warfare, particularly in making fibre-optic drones that are tethered and difficult to jam. "Here, unfortunately, they have an advantage in both the number and range of their use," he said. He also claimed that Ukraine still held 90 square kilometres (35 square miles) of territory in Russia's Kursk region, where Kyiv launched an audacious cross-border incursion last August. "These are our pre-emptive actions in response to a possible enemy offensive," he said. Russia said in April that it had gained full control of the Kursk region and denies that Kyiv has a presence there. Moscow occupies around a fifth of Ukraine and claims to have annexed four Ukrainian regions as its own since launching its invasion in 2022 -- in addition to Crimea, which it captured in 2014. Kyiv has accused Moscow of deliberately sabotaging a peace deal to prolong its full-scale offensive on the country and to seize more territory. The Russian army said Sunday that it had captured the village of Petrivske in Ukraine's northeast Kharkiv region. Russian forces also fired at least 47 drones and three missiles at Ukraine between late Saturday and early Sunday, the Ukrainian air force said. At least two people were killed in the attacks on Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, including a 17-year-old boy, the region's governor said. Ukraine has been working to strengthen its front-line defences AFP
Int'l Business Times
3 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
United Behind Iran War Effort, Israelis Express Relief At US Bombing
Israelis expressed relief and optimism Sunday after US President Donald Trump ordered air strikes on Iran, 10 days into a war that has widespread public support. Despite daily nerve-shredding trips to bomb shelters and growing damage around the country, Israelis appeared united behind Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's move to attack Iran on June 13. Trump's decision to authorise overnight bombing raids on Iran's nuclear facilities has provided further reassurance after more than a week of sorties by the Israeli air force. "The war with Iran was inevitable. You knew it would happen sooner or later," Claudio Hazan, a 62-year-old software engineer, told AFP in central Jerusalem on Sunday. "I hope that it will shorten the war, because otherwise Israel by itself would not stop until they get that Fordo place bombed," he explained, referring to the deeply buried Iranian nuclear site targeted by heavy US bombers overnight. Israelis have hunkered down for the last 10 days, with businesses closed, schools shuttered and people urged to stay home. Few have slept a full uninterrupted night since the conflict erupted due to the screeching missile warnings that flash up on mobile phones at all times of day. "We woke up to a Sunday morning of alarms and then we saw that the US attacked," David, a 43-year-old Jerusalem resident, told AFP. "We're all happy that the US is lending a hand, it has always been lending a hand." Israeli President Isaac Herzog told the BBC on Sunday that "now is an opportunity to come to a dialogue of peace, also a dialogue of peace between all nations in the region, including Israelis and Palestinians". Israel's sophisticated air defences have kept Israeli towns and cities relatively safe, shooting down hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones that would otherwise have caused widespread devastation. Dozens have slipped through, however, with three more impacts reported on Sunday morning in the northern port of Haifa and around the coastal hub of Tel Aviv. At least 50 strikes have been acknowledged nationwide and 25 people have died, according to official figures. When a missile blasted her modern apartment block on Thursday in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, resident Renana lamented to AFP that "it will take a long time until this building recovers." But she showed no rancour towards Netanyahu who has deployed Israeli forces in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and now Iran since the attack on Israel by Palestinian group Hamas in October 2023. "The truth is that God is with us and the government should go on with whatever they're doing, which is exactly what should have been done a long time ago," Renana, who did not give her surname, told AFP. Israel's usually divided political scene has also lined up behind the attack on Iran, a country generations of Israelis have grown up fearing as a threat to their existence. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is my political rival, but his decision to strike Iran at this moment in time is the right one," opposition leader Yair Lapid wrote in a Jerusalem Post op-ed last week. A survey carried out by the Israel Democracy Institute in the days immediately after Israel's first strikes on June 13 found that 70 percent of Israelis supported the war, although the results revealed a major divide. Among Jewish Israelis, there was 82 percent support, while only 35 percent of respondents from Israel's Arab minority, who mostly identify as Palestinian, were in favour. Dahlia Scheindlin, an Israeli pollster and political analyst, told AFP that Israelis were much more united behind the Iran campaign than the grinding conflict in Gaza which many saw as a "dirty war". Netanyahu has been criticised for failing to secure the return of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas and accused of prolonging the war for domestic political purposes. He is also subject to an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza where nearly 56,000 people have been killed, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. "There's a very sharp contrast between how Israelis view the war in Gaza and how they view this war with Iran," Scheindlin said. She cautioned, however, that sentiment could change if it turns into a long conflict. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the site of a missile strike near Tel Aviv AFP The war in Gaza is viewed by some as a 'dirty war' in Israel and has sparked protests AFP
