Latest news with #YevgenyPrigozhin
France 24
a day ago
- Politics
- France 24
Russia steps out from shadows in Africa with state paramilitary
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. 'Myriad risks' 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." - 'Brutal tactics' - 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.
Int'l Business Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
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
Euronews
3 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
African Initiative: Russian-backed outlet peddles influence in Africa
The African Initiative presents itself as a Moscow-based news agency that covers events across the continent, aiming to "mutually expand the knowledge of Russians and Africans about each other." But in reality, it has been classified as the "main vehicle" for Russia's disinformation activities across Africa, according to a new report by Vignium, the French agency which monitors foreign digital interference. Many individuals who run the African Initiative have affiliations with Russian intelligence services, while others have been identified as former members of the Wagner paramilitary group. The African Initiative was launched in September 2023, just a month after Yevgeny Prigozhin — one of Wagner's founders and its leader — died in a plane crash. Prigozhin had played an instrumental role in promoting Russian interests on the African continent. Following his death, Moscow rushed to replace Wagner-run operations across the African continent. The outlet publishes its content on various websites in several languages, including on Telegram — where it boasts 70,000 subscribers across its channels — as well as on various Facebook and TikTok accounts. In addition to publishing articles and digital content, the outlet uses local fronts and soft power initiatives like journalism schools and press trips to embed itself within local communities. For instance, in June the outlet organised a conference which aimed to dismantle "myths, negative narratives" about Russia and instead to build opportunities to "create an objective image of Russia on the African continent." The African Initiative has also been pushing to develop its activities in the former French colonies of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, which make up the Alliance of the Sahel States — a union that Russia was the first country to recognise. West African countries under the control of juntas have distanced themselves from France and other former Western allies — criticising failed interventions against Islamist extremists and their colonial legacies — and instead turning to Russia. Following Prigozhin's death, Moscow launched a new paramilitary group, "Africa Corps", which is believed to be managed and closely monitored by Russia's Defence Ministry, as part of the Kremlin's plan to tighten its grip on ongoing operations across Africa. Israel has started flying home citizens stranded overseas during the conflict with Iran, with two flights from Cyprus landing in Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning. Israel's airspace has been closed since the country launched a surprise airstrike campaign against Iran on Friday. Iran has retaliated with hundreds of drones and missiles. A total of 13 repatriation flights were scheduled on Wednesday from Larnaca to Israel, with nine to Haifa and four to Tel Aviv, according to an airport operator in Cyprus. Israel's transport ministry says that up to 150,000 Israelis are currently outside the country, about a third of whom are trying to return home. Many Israelis stranded abroad have ended up in Cyprus, which is the closest EU country to Israel. The jets of Israel's three airlines have been moved to Larnaca since the conflict with Iran began last week. The conflict has forced most countries in the Middle East to close their airspace. Dozens of airports have halted all flights or significantly reduced operations, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded and others unable to flee the conflict or return home. At least 400 Israeli citizens are reported to be stranded along Bulgaria's Black Sea coast. One of those tourists, Galid, told Euronews that she did not know when she and her family would be able to return home to Israel. "We can't go back now. We can't. We'll have to stay here with the children and wait. Nothing can be done right now. That's it. It's war," Galid said. Two other tourists, Eden and Itai, stated that they had ruled out the possibility of flying to Jordan or Egypt and then entering Israel through the land border because they had a young child. The hotels where the stranded Israelis are staying in Bulgaria have been placed under increased police presence and security measures in recent days. Israel's national carrier El Al has said it intends to operate dozens of flights to repatriate Israelis from various European capitals such as Athens, Rome and Paris. Smaller carrier Arkia will fly back Israeli citizens from Greece, Cyprus and Montenegro, while Israir is operating flights for the country's stranded tourists from Cyprus, Greece and Bulgaria. However, passenger flights are still not departing from Israel, which means that tens of thousands of tourists are currently stranded in the country. Israeli airstrikes hit Iran's capital Tehran overnight and into Wednesday morning, as Iran launched a small barrage of missiles at Israel with no reports of casualties. The attacks between the bitter rivals have opened a new chapter in their turbulent recent history. Many in the region fear a wider conflict as they watch waves of missiles fly across their skies every night. A Washington-based Iranian human rights group, Human Rights Activists, says at least 585 people, including 239 civilians, have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded by Israel's strikes on Iran. Since Friday, Iran has fired about 400 missiles and hundreds of drones in retaliatory strikes that have killed at least 24 people in Israel, all civilians, and wounded hundreds, according to Israeli authorities.
LeMonde
13-06-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
Russia targeted French speakers in Africa with AI-generated posts, says France
A clandestine pro-Russian online operation targeted French speakers in Africa with "deceptive" AI-generated posts in a campaign likely directed by Moscow, a French government agency said, in a report on Thursday, June 12. Moscow has sought to expand its influence in Africa in recent years, including in former French colonies, through campaigns using grassroots activists and social media. France's Viginum agency, which counters foreign disinformation campaigns, linked Moscow's "clandestine digital activities" to a Russian news agency openly operating in Africa, called African Initiative. With a Moscow address, African Initiative publishes in five languages, including English and French, and runs journalism courses and press trips in Africa. Viginum said the news agency appeared to have set up an operation, which it called "deceptive," posting AI-generated images, text and video and using "malign techniques" to boost views. The operation using pseudo-media outlets was "likely" run by a web marketing company subcontracted by African Initiative, the report said. Dozens of automated accounts also disseminated links to the sites on blogs, with posts appearing to be AI-generated and sometimes translated from Russian, Viginum said. The websites ran several thousand articles, largely on non-political topics such as cinema, sport and music, in an apparent bid to get linked to by other media, the report said. Despite the complex structure, the operation did not rack up many views and the sites appear to have been inactive since December, the French agency said. Replacing Wagner's information operations The Wagner group had previously played a key role in such operations, but Moscow has apparently moved to centralise control of information operations since the group was disbanded and reorganised following the death of its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, in a 2023 plane crash. African Initiative has become "a key element in the restructuring and implementation of Russia's information and influence strategy in Africa" after Prigozhin's death, the Viginum report said. Its "activities are likely directed by the Russian state apparatus, particularly the Russian intelligence services," it said. Presented as an independent publication, its reporters include the former press secretary for Wagner's office in Saint Petersburg. Viginum released its findings after Meta in August 2024 said it had removed Facebook accounts targeting French-speaking African countries that promoted Russia's role in the region and criticized France. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, later said it had banned accounts based in Russia from using its language models to generate images, comments and articles in English and French, which have been posted on sites posing as news media in Africa.
France 24
11-06-2025
- Politics
- France 24
New Russian bomber spotted in Mali as Wagner Group leaves the country
The Wagner Group, a paramilitary organisation founded in 2014 by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the time, has been supporting the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) in their fight against jihadists in the Sahel region since 2022. However, a short-lived rebellion by the group against the Russian government in June 2023, followed by Prigozhin's death in a plane crash two months later, sealed the mercenaries' estrangement from the Putin administration. The same year, the Russian Ministry of Defence established another paramilitary group, known as the Africa Corps (or Russian Expeditionary Corps). The group is recruiting for missions abroad and is expected to take over from Wagner Group in Mali. On June 6, the Wagner Group announced on its Telegram account channel the completion of its "main mission" in Mali. The group boasted of having "eliminated thousands of militants and their commanders who had terrorised the civilian population for years", and claimed to have "helped local patriots build a strong and disciplined army". Rumours have been circulating on pro-government accounts in Mali for several months suggesting that Su-24M jets have been delivered to the Malian army. The Su-24M is a two-seat, variable-sweep wing tactical bomber. It entered service in 1983, but has never been deployed in Mali. A Su-24M spotted in a satellite image at Bamako airport It turns out the aircraft has been in Mali since at least April 14, 2025. A satellite image taken on that day by Maxar, and provided to FRANCE 24, shows a Su-24M bomber parked on the tarmac in the military section of the Bamako airport. Its folded wings and fuselage shape make the aircraft easily recognisable. Speculation about its deployment had been rife for months, fuelled by numerous rumours (more on that below). But why is there so much interest and misinformation surrounding an old Soviet-made aircraft? This question is especially pertinent given that the Malian army already operates another Soviet-era ground-attack aircraft, the Su-25. What makes the Su-24M's arrival particularly significant, however, is that it arrives alongside a new unit of Russian paramilitary forces, the Africa Corps. The group is set to replace the Wagner Group which announced its departure on Friday, June 6. Africa Corps: Russian pilots behind the Su-24M In a May 20 social media post, the Africa Corps, a group with close ties to the Russian Ministry of Defence, published photos clearly showing the cockpit of a Su-24M. Yet, the Africa Corps does not mention Mali in its statement. The group merely states that the Su-24M jets are 'carrying out bombing strikes against camps of militants of terrorist organisations in an African country'. Africa Corps is also known to be deployed in Mali's neighbouring countries, Burkina Faso and Niger. The arrival of the aircraft coincides with an ongoing change in Russian command in Mali. Mercenaries from the Wagner Group had previously overseen operations in the northern part of the country, but the arrival of new convoys of military equipment has been documented in recent months. These convoys may also be linked to the deployment of the Africa Corps group. 'Russia wants to strike harder' Russia's deployment of Su-24M aircraft signals an intent to increase its aerial bombardment firepower and intensity, according to Red Samovar, an analyst specialising in Russian aviation: Clearly, this deployment indicates Russia wants to strike harder by deploying the Su-24M, which has a higher ammunition capacity than the Su-25 [Editor's note: which the FAMA are currently using]. Given the situation in Mali, it's highly probable Russia has deployed the Su-24M to enable more massive strikes using both unguided and guided bombs, compared to the Su-25. The Su-24M can carry up to seven tons of weaponry [unlike the Su-25, which has a four-ton capacity]. This enables a broader range of mission capabilities. The Su-24M is a tactical bomber designed in the 1970s for very low-altitude flights to penetrate enemy air defences. This deployment suggests a recycling of Russian aircraft no longer needed in Ukraine, where they've been replaced by the Su-34. These older aircraft can still be useful for several more years in less 'demanding' environments. False rumours anticipating a very real deployment For several months, images allegedly showing the Su-24 bomber in Mali have been circulating on social media. For instance, this video shared on X on April 28 by an account favourable to the Malian government, purportedly shows a Su-24 aircraft flying over Bamako. Although this video features a Su-24M aircraft, it was not filmed in Mali, but rather in Russia. The footage was published on YouTube in October 2020 on the RUplanes channel, which is dedicated to Russian military aviation. The video circulating on Malian accounts simply adds a zoom effect but uses the exact same content as the Russian source. Another video, shared on X by another account supportive of Mali's transitional authorities on May 22, also claimed to show a Su-24M aircraft in service with the Malian army. However, the video does not show a Su-24M, but rather an L-39 Albatros, an aircraft in service with the Malian air force. We cannot rule out that the images were taken in Malian airspace, but it is impossible to geolocate the video. Further images of the Sukhoi Su-24 have reportedly been captured from the vicinity of Bamako airport. Among these, a photo dated March 26 appears more credible than previous videos. According to analysts specialising in Sahelian armies, this photo is believed to be a screenshot from a TikTok video taken on the outskirts of Bamako airport. However, the low quality of the image makes it impossible to find the original video and confirm whether the Su-24M was already deployed as early as March 2025.
