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A continent away from the Kremlin, a host of African strongmen are now waiting for the chips to fall in Moscow. Russia’s foreign minister took to the airwaves on Monday to immediately insist that it’s business as usual for the Wagner Group’s ties to the continent. Why the haste? It turns out Yevgeny Prigozhin’s outfit is much more than guns for hire: it’s influence and a cash cow.
Thanks to a barter system centred mostly around gold and diamonds, Russia gets the gems. After kicking out former colonial power France, the likes of Mali and the Central African Republic get protection and social media savviness to keep public opinion onside. So what’s next?
And what now for countries like Sudan, where Wagner does business with Hemedti, the warlord engaged in a death match with the junta leader? Does score-settling in Moscow affect the battle in Khartoum?
More broadly, for all the talk about the pros and cons of Africa doing business with China and the West, can it be business as usual for those who deal with Russia?
Produced by Juliette Laurain, Rebecca Gnignati and Imen Mellaz.
