The kremlin is trying to take control of Wagner PMC militants in African and Eastern countries
"The Wagner PMC in Africa earns hundreds of millions of dollars a year - it is an important source of funding for the war against Ukraine
The russian authorities have informed the leadership of the countries of Africa and the Middle East where the Wagner PMC operates that the mercenaries will now be subordinate to the kremlin.
Source. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal.
According to the newspaper, a few hours after the Wagner convoys were stopped, russia's Deputy Foreign Minister flew to Damascus to personally inform Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that Wagner would no longer operate independently in the country.
Foreign Ministry diplomats also called the president of the Central African Republic, whose personal bodyguards include Wagner, and assured him that the crisis in russia would not stop russian activities in Africa.
In addition, Emergencies Ministry planes flew from Syria to Mali, where one of Wagner's key bases is located.
Wagner fighters operating in Syria were ordered to report to the russian Defense Ministry air base in Latakia, two sources told the WSJ. They obeyed the order. In Mali, according to a US intelligence officer, mercenaries were ordered to stay put and perform their duties.
In this way, Putin was trying to assure russia's partners in Africa and the Middle East that Wagner's activities in these regions would continue, but that the mercenaries would now have different leadership.
About 6,000 Wagner employees operate outside of russia and Ukraine, according to The Wall Street Journal. The fate of their operations now depends on whether the kremlin can simultaneously isolate Prigozhin and preserve the empire he has built, the newspaper notes.
Western officials speaking to the WSJ noted that Wagner's PMC in Africa earns hundreds of millions of dollars a year. The money comes from the export of Sudanese gold to russia, diamonds from the Central African Republic to the UAE, and timber to Pakistan. It is an important source of funding for the war in Ukraine.
As The Wall Street Journal has previously reported, Western officials and analysts suggest that internal conflicts in russia could provide an opportunity for the United States and other Western countries to regain influence in countries where the Wagner PMC was active.
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