Also against civilians
Violence by Prigozhin’s mercenaries in Africa is increasing
21.08.2024, 14:17
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In Africa, Russian mercenaries are helping governments in the fight against rebels and terror. According to one organization, the number of cases of political violence by paramilitaries increased significantly in the first half of the year. The majority of the victims are civilians.
Violence by Russian mercenaries in Africa has increased in the past year. The paramilitaries of the Wagner Group continue to play an important role after the death of their leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash a year ago.
In the first half of 2024, there were more incidents of political violence in Africa involving Russian mercenaries than during Prigozhin’s lifetime, according to experts from the conflict data organization ACLED. Russian mercenaries, who are now largely subordinate to the Ministry of Defense and military intelligence under the name Africa Corps, are mainly active in Mali and the Central African Republic.
There they help governments fight rebels and terrorist groups. In Mali, according to ACLED, the mercenaries have been involved in a third of military operations since the end of 2021. 60 percent of the violent incidents in which Wagner forces were involved in the Sahel state were directed against civilians. The international non-governmental organization ACLED, founded in 2005 by a conflict researcher, examines reports on political violence around the world and prepares them for researchers and the media, for example.