Wagner Forces in Africa. CFR photo
According to the Blood Gold Report released this month, fueled by its influence in much of Africa, the Wagner Group has established a foothold in recent years by providing security and paramilitary services. . The research program’s authors write that Wagner has “exclusive rights” to the largest Ndassima gold mine in the Central African Republic (CAR).
Wagner has also established control of a major gold refinery in Sudan, which, according to the Blood Gold Report, has allowed PMC to “become the dominant buyer of unprocessed Sudanese gold, with multiple accounts is a Russian military transport plane that transports processed gold out of foreign countries. CNN reported in July 2022 that some Russian officials began smuggling gold from mines in Sudan almost immediately after launching the war in Ukraine.
In Mali, Wagner forces are being paid in cash by the military government taking over this West African country in 2021. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Wagner forces have begun deploying for the first time. Declared to Mali with Russian support.
The Blood Gold report said PMC members are paid up to $10.8 million per month by the Mali government, funded largely by tax revenues collected from several Western-owned gold mining companies. in this country.
According to the project’s authors, gold mined from African countries is “laundered into the international market bringing billions of dollars in revenue to the Russian state, which in turn directly and indirectly finances Russia’s war.” with Ukraine and the global hybrid warfare infrastructure”.
After the death of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in August, the Russian military took full control of the PMC, which plays a key role in the war in Ukraine.
According to Blood Gold Report: “Since the death of tycoon Prigozhin, the mercenary group has officially been under the control of the Russian State. However, the Kremlin’s focus on Africa and mining activities This country’s blood gold shows no signs of changing.”
