The founder of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, Yevgueni Prigozhin, said in a video released on Monday (21) that he is in Africa, alongside several fighters, to make the continent “freer”.
RFI
Prigozhin, a long-time Kremlin ally, has made few public appearances since his group’s failed attempt to mutiny against Russia’s military summit in June.
The Wagner group maintains a significant military presence in Africa, where it has established alliances with the governments of several nations, including Mali and the Central African Republic.
“We are working. The temperature is over 50°C, just the way we like it. The Wagner group is carrying out a reconnaissance mission, making Russia even bigger on all continents, and Africa even freer,” he said in the video, shared by Telegram channels close to the paramilitary group.
AFP has so far been unable to verify the authenticity of the recording.
The images show Prigozhin with a rifle, dressed in a military uniform, in the middle of a desert location. He does not mention the country he is in.
Fighting jihadists
In the video, Prigozhin presents himself as the “nightmare” of the extremist group Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. He asks for the help of volunteers who wish to join the group to “carry out the tasks we have set ourselves and which we promise to fulfill”, giving out a telephone number and email address for recruitment.
The Wagner group’s apparent activities in Africa come at a time of tension in Niger, which has been shaken since July by a coup that overthrew the government and installed a military junta in power.
(With AFP)