In recent years, the Wagner Group, a notorious Russian paramilitary organization, emerged as a geopolitically influential private military company, something particularly evident with its participation in Ukraine war. The outfit’s operations date back to 2014, but it was really over the following years that it began expanding its operations in Africa, particularly within the Central African Republic (CAR). In this country, the influence of Russia and its paramilitary forces remains high, even as Wagner’s role waned following the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Wagner’s involvement in the country begins in 2016, when the current president of the Central African Republic, Faustin Touadéra, was sworn into office. At the time, Touadéra presided over a fraught security situation, with religious-based violence threatening to spill onto the streets of Bangui. In order to stabilize the capital – and ensure his own personal security – Touadéra officially requested security assistance from Russia. The swift deployment of the Wagner Group and other private outfits removed the immediate threat, at least with regard to the capital.