the godfather of the Wagner group hails a “new era of decolonization”

Russian businessman Evgueni Prigojine, reputed to be close to Vladimir Putin and suspected of being linked to the opaque paramilitary group Wagner, hailed the putsch in Burkina Faso on Tuesday January 25 as a sign of a “new era of decolonization” in Africa.

“All these so-called coups are due to the West trying to govern states and suppress their national priorities, to impose foreign values ​​on Africans, sometimes with a clear mockery of them”Mr. Prigozhin said in a comment posted on the Russian social network VK by his company, Concord.

“It is not surprising that many African states are seeking freedom. This is happening because the West is trying to keep the people of these countries in a semi-animal state”assured the sulphurous businessman.

Welcoming the military putsch in Burkina Faso, Mr. Prigojine estimated that a “new liberation movement” is currently taking place in Africa, as well as a “new era of decolonization”.

Russian “instructors”

nicknamed the “Putin’s cook” for having been one of the suppliers of the Kremlin with his catering company, Yevgueni Prigojine is also accused of financing the private military company Wagner, whose presence has been reported in Ukraine, Syria, Libya and in several countries of ‘Sub-Saharan Africa.

Wagner, with whom the Russian authorities deny any link and who has been targeted since December 2021 by European Union sanctions, provides maintenance services for military equipment and training, but is accused, in particular by France, of act on behalf of the Kremlin where it does not want to appear officially. Mr. Prigojine, himself under European and American sanctions, denies any connection with the Wagner group.

On Tuesday, Alexander Ivanov, known to be one of the representatives of “instructors” Russians in the Central African Republic, also praised in a press release published on Twitter the putschists of Ouagadougou, considering that France had not obtained “no success” in the fight against terrorism in the region.

He said he was ready to “share the experience” from “instructors” Russians in the Central African Republic for the training of the army of Burkina Faso if the authorities so request.
On Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said to itself “concerned by the considerable complication of the internal political situation” in Burkina Faso, saying “hope for a quick stabilization” from the country.