“In the Central African Republic, new forces have arrived, and we control the territory. (…) We are not reducing our presence, and we are ready to increase our contingents. In an interview broadcast on July 25 on the pro-Russian channel Afrique Media, which circulates from phone to phone in Bangui, Evgueni Prigojine, the boss of the Wagner Group, himself tried to cut short the speculation triggered by the movement including like the departure of hundreds of his men, observed in the country the day after his short-lived rebellion in Russia, a month earlier.
These movements, like his failed coup attempt against the Russian authorities, caused trouble on the banks of the Oubangui. The Central African Republic remains under threat from rebel groups, and the security of its rulers largely depends on Wagner's mercenaries. "We were amazed. Very worried too, because Russia supports us against the terrorists of the CPC [Coalition of Patriots for Change, which tried to overthrow President Touadéra in early 2021]. If it were to withdraw, the armed groups could reappear”, recognizes Héritier Doneng, director of cabinet of the ministry of youth and sports and figure of the mobilization in favor of the Russian presence in the country.
"Very quickly, the Russian Foreign Minister assured us of the maintenance of military cooperation," said Fidèle Gouandjika, special adviser to President Touadéra. We signed a defense agreement with Russia, which subcontracts the paramilitaries, and today they are even more numerous than before. Sources in Bangui now agree that the air movements observed in recent weeks correspond to a reorganization of forces before the start of the rainy season, rather than a departure.
Mineral trafficking
In the streets of Bangui, even if they are more discreet, the mercenaries - whose numbers on the spot were evaluated by French sources, on July 20, at around 1,200 men - are still very present. We meet them at tables in restaurants, in supermarkets or trying on second-hand sneakers. Their pick-ups equipped with machine guns are part of the landscape. “They seem better integrated. We meet more women. Some even go out without a mask [while mercenaries usually have their faces covered] and go so far as to make appearances at the parties of Western expatriates, ”says a Frenchman living in Bangui.
“They have made the Central African Republic a hub for their African operations, excluding other international actors, analyzes a UN source. They control the airport, and the country has become like a black hole from which their mafia activities spread without any control. »
Since its arrival in the country at the end of 2017, the Wagner Group has developed its business there in the trafficking of minerals, but also in the timber trade which is prospering, as evidenced by the convoys of logs which cross the capital under escort. Large billboards tout Africa ti L’or, a new brand of beer produced locally by a Wagner affiliate. Its competitor, the French group Castel, saw the factory of its local subsidiary, Mocaf, burnt down in March.
After more than five years of presence, the Wagner Group masters the field, has experienced men and has established its grip on the upper echelons of power. "They are too entrenched to leave, and the government is showing no sign of wanting to follow the US withdrawal plan," said a diplomat. In December 2022, as Le Monde had revealed, Washington had offered Faustin-Archange Touadéra to train his army and increase his humanitarian aid in exchange for the dismissal of Russian paramilitaries.
More than six months later and despite the tensions in Russia between Wagner and the state apparatus, the status quo seems to prevail in Africa. Still present in the Central African Republic despite rumors about his departure, Dmitri Syty, who coordinates Wagner's civil activities there, appeared in a video dedicated to the sanctions imposed on July 20 by the United Kingdom on thirteen people and companies associated with the group. "I don't care about the penalties! I already have plenty and that doesn't stop me from working," he said. Dmitri Syty is one of the few Wagner executives to show his face. Present since the start of the group's operations in the Central African Republic, this 34-year-old French-speaking man was the victim of a parcel bomb attack in December, the perpetrators of which remain unknown. Since his return, he has been involved in the organization of the constitutional referendum scheduled for Sunday, July 30. If yes, President Touadéra could be re-elected as many times as he wishes. "We will continue (...) under the leadership of Yevgueni Prigojine who does a lot for African countries, who defends their sovereignty, makes their voice stronger and who never lets go of his friends", promises Mr. Syty in the video.
Mercenaries defend their allies, but also their position. In a street in Bangui, a young man gets out of a vehicle with tinted windows and no license plate to distribute leaflets. This is not to encourage voters to vote in favor of the new Constitution, but to recall the motto of the Wagner Group, in golden Cyrillic letters: "Blood, honor, justice, fatherland, courage".
