Since the death of Yevgeny Prigojine, the founder of Wagner, a new paramilitary structure led by Russia has emerged to carry out actions in several Sahel countries.
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What is Russia’s presence in Africa today? Since the death of Yevgueni Prigojine, the founder of Wagner, who died in a mysterious plane accident in August 2023, a new paramilitary structure is making a place in several Sahel countries. Its name: Africa Corps. A name reminiscent of the Reich unit “Afrikakorps”, led by General Rommel during the Second World War.
From Africa Corps? We know the Telegram channel where photos of Russian soldiers landing in Burkina Faso were published at the end of January. Unlike Wagner, this new organization is directly under the control of the Russian Ministry of Defense. “Yevgeny Prigozhin, from through the networks he created, particularly in Africa, had acquired a certain margin of autonomy. This is what the Kremlin wants to eliminate as a scenario at all costs.” analyzes the journalist and Africa specialist, Vincent Hugeux.
A military base in Burkina Faso
It is also Russian Deputy Defense Minister Evkourov who supervises the new armed wing of the Kremlin. Although its numbers are not known in detail, Africa Corps carries out recruitment campaigns via advertising spots to attract new recruits. For the rest, “there are both alumni of Wagner who already had a hierarchical position, but who have in some way made an act of allegiance, explains Vincent Hugeux. And other elements that come directly from the army…”
The recent installation of a military base under the Africa Corps label, just 20 kilometers from Ouagadougou, attests to Moscow’s desire to make Burkina Faso – which the French soldiers left a year ago – the centerpiece of its African device.
