By Jean-Fernand Koena and Mark Banchereau
Officials in the Central African Republic have said that Russia has called on the country to replace the private Wagner mercenary group with Moscow’s state-run Africa Corps and requested payment for further security services.
The Central African Republic’s government has been reluctant to agree to Moscow’s demands, because it sees Wagner as more effective and they prefer to pay for services with minerals, not in cash.
For years, Wagner has been in Central African Republic, where they are protecting President Faustin Archange Touadera and his government, and helped him win a 2023 constitutional referendum that could extend his power indefinitely. In exchange, they’ve enjoyed access to the country’s rich minerals, including gold.
But Russia has been trying to transition from Wagner to Africa Corps since Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was killed in a plane crash in 2023. The Wagner mercenaries were replaced earlier this year in Mali.
A Central African Republic military official told The Associated Press
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