These moves, like his aborted coup attempt against the Russian government, have caused turmoil on the banks of the Ubangi River. The Central African Republic (CAR) remains threatened by rebel groups, and the security of its leaders depends extensively on Wagner's mercenaries. "We were stunned. Very worried, too, because Russia is supporting us against the terrorists of the CPC [Coalition of Patriots for Change, which attempted to overthrow CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadéra in early 2021]. If it were to withdraw, the armed groups could re-emerge," said Héritier Doneng, director of cabinet at the ministry of youth and sports, and a key personality in the campaign for Russia's presence in the country.
"Very quickly, the Russian foreign ministry told us that military cooperation would continue," said Fidèle Gouandjika, special advisor to Touadéra. "We signed a defense agreement with Russia, which subcontracts to paramilitaries, and today there are even more of them than before." Sources in Bangui told Le Monde recent air movements were a reorganization of forces ahead of the rainy season, not a departure.
Minerals traffickingEven if they are more discreet in the streets of Bangui, the mercenaries – whose numbers were estimated by French sources on July 20, at around 1,200 men – are still very much present. They can be seen sitting in restaurants, supermarkets or trying on second-hand sneakers. Their machine-gun-equipped pick-ups are part of the landscape. "They seem to be better integrated. We meet more women. Some even go out without masks [mercenaries usually have their faces covered] and even appear at Western expatriate parties," said a Frenchman based in Bangui.
"They have turned the CAR into a hub for their African operations, sidelining other international players," a United Nations source said. "They control the airport, and the country has become like a black hole in which their mafia activities spread without any control."
Since it arrived in the country at the end of 2017, the Wagner Group has developed its business in minerals trafficking but also in the thriving timber trade, as evidenced by the convoys of logs that pass through the capital under escort. Large billboards advertise Africa ti L'or, a new beer brand produced locally by a company affiliated with Wagner. Its competitor, the French Castel group, saw the factory of its local subsidiary, Mocaf, burnt down in March.After over five years in business, the Wagner Group has mastered the terrain, experienced men at its disposal, and established its hold on the upper echelons of power. "They are too well-established to leave, and the government shows no sign of following the United States' withdrawal plan," a diplomat said. In December, as previously reported by Le Monde, Washington offered Touadéra to train his army and increase humanitarian aid in exchange for ousting Wagner.
More than six months later, despite tensions in Russia between Wagner and the state apparatus, the status quo seems to prevail in Africa. Still present in the CAR despite rumors of his exit, Dmitri Syty, who coordinates Wagner's civilian activities in the country, appeared in a video focusing on the sanctions imposed on July 20, by the United Kingdom on 13 individuals and companies associated with the group. "I don't give a damn about sanctions! I've already got plenty of them, and they don't stop me from working," he says. Syty is one of the few Wagner executives to show his face. Active since the start of Wagner's operations in the CAR, the 34-year-old francophone was the victim of a parcel bomb attack in December, the perpetrators of which remain unknown. Upon his return, he helped organize a constitutional referendum scheduled for July 30. Should the consultation be successful, from the authorities perspective, Touadéra could be re-elected as many times as he wishes. "We will continue (...) under the leadership of Yevgeny Prigozhin, who does so much for African countries, defends their sovereignty, makes their voices stronger, and never lets go of his friends," Syty promises in the video.The mercenaries are defending their allies but also their position. In a street in Bangui, a young man got out of a vehicle with tinted windows and no license plate to hand out leaflets. The aim was not to encourage the electorate to vote in favor of the new constitution but to remind them of the Wagner Group's motto in gilded Cyrillic letters: "Blood, honor, justice, homeland, courage."
Carol Valade(in Bangui (Central African Republic))
