Guns for gold:the Wagner Network exposed
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- monitoring processes in several countries. Undermining democracy has been directly linked to the pursuit of profit through the weakening of government capacity, processes and controls.[1]
- Gained access to natural resources on preferential terms, to the detriment of the national economy. In Sudan, Wagner-linked gold mining companies have benefited from generous concessions.[2] The network appears to have a “chokehold” over Libya’s natural resources and export facilities; consequently, “Libyan oil output has drastically decreased”.[3]
23. The consequences of the network’s involvement in the Central African Republic are particularly far-reaching. The Sentry’s many years of investigation led it to warn that CAR is “a successful testing ground for Wagner to perfect the art of state capture with a view to outsourcing it to more vulnerable countries”.[4] The deep involvement of the Wagner Network in the country is examined in Box 1 and shows the growing reliance of the CAR national government on the network for security. In the process, this undermines freedom of the press, political opposition, good governance, international engagement and even potentially the national constitution.
Box 1: Case study on the Wagner Network’s involvement in the Central African Republic
In 2017, President Touadéra signed a number of security agreements with the Russian government and requested military support in exchange for access to diamonds, gold and uranium.[5] In December 2017, the Russian Foreign Ministry successfully lobbied for an exemption to the United Nations’ (UN) arms embargo,[6] and Russia was permitted to provide weapons and ‘trainers’ to support CAR forces. It announced that 170 instructors would be deployed to CAR.[7]
Between 2018 and 19, Prigozhin negotiated mining access in exchange for Wagner services to secure the President’s re-election,[8] which the Wagner Network achieved using a combination of bribery, intimidation and “aggressive anti-Western and pro-Russian propaganda”.[9] The network is now seeking to secure a third term for the President, including by forcing a change to the country’s constitution if necessary.[10]
Between 2018 and 19, Prigozhin negotiated mining access in exchange for Wagner services to secure the President’s re-election,[8] which the Wagner Network achieved using a combination of bribery, intimidation and “aggressive anti-Western and pro-Russian propaganda”.[9] The network is now seeking to secure a third term for the President, including by forcing a change to the country’s constitution if necessary.[10]
- ↑ “The Wagner Group contributes to Russia’s efforts to undermine efforts of individuals and organizations to democratize by backing authoritarians and engaging in human rights abuses. In doing this, the Wagner Group gains access to important resources that advance Russia’s geopolitical interests. In essence, objective one, undermining democracy naturally feeds into profiteering, the second objective”. Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism - Middlebury Institute of International Studies (WGN0023)
- ↑ The Wagner-linked company, Meroe Gold has been instrumental. The Sudanese government waived its 30% stake in gold mining by Meroe in 2018 and provided the company with other benefits. See OCCRP, ‘Documents Reveal Wagner’s Golden Ties to Sudanese Military Companies’, 2 November 2022 (accessed 16 July 2023)
- ↑ Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism - Middlebury Institute of International Studies (WGN0023)
- ↑ The Sentry (WGN0017) para 27. See The Sentry, ‘Architects of Terror’, June 2023
- ↑ Wagner Group: Why the EU is alarmed by Russian mercenaries in Central Africa, BBC News, 19 December 2021
- ↑ LSE, Russian mercenaries in the Central African Republic create problems for democratic actors, 5 May 20211
- ↑ CIR open-source research
- ↑ The Sentry (WGN0017) para 11
- ↑ The Sentry (WGN0017) para 11
- ↑ How Wagner Group rode roughshod over the law to keep control of its African ‘client state’, The Times, 21 May 2023
