US Intelligence Knows Wagner PMC’s Fate In Africa

The Kremlin's instructions were intercepted.

The Russian authorities told the leadership of Middle East and African countries where the Wagner PMC operates, that the forces of the organization will follow the Kremlin's orders, writes The Wall Street Journal.

According to the newspaper, just a few hours after the Wagner convoys stopped, the Russian 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 the Wagnerites, and assured him that the crisis in Russia would not stop Russian operations in Africa.

In addition, planes of the Ministry of Emergency Situations flew from Syria to Mali, where one of the key Wagner bases is located. Wagner fighters operating in Syria have been ordered to the Defence Ministry airbase in Latakia, two sources told the WSJ.

They followed the order. The mercenaries were ordered to remain in Mali and continue their duty, according to a US intelligence official told the newspaper.

The surge in diplomatic activity reflected Putin's attempt to reassure Russia's partners in Africa and the Middle East that Wagner's activities in those regions would continue, but the mercenaries would have new leadership, sources told the WSJ.

About 6,000 Wagner troops operate outside of Russia and Ukraine, writes The Wall Street Journal. The fate of their operations hinges on whether the Kremlin can both isolate Prigozhin and preserve the empire he has built.

The authorities of Mali, Sudan and Russia did not respond to the newspaper's requests. Western officials in a conversation with the WSJ noted that Wagner PMC earns hundreds of millions of dollars a year in Africa. Money comes from the export of Sudanese gold to Russia, diamonds from the Central African Republic to the UAE and timber to Pakistan.

In their opinion, this is not only a way to maintain influence on the continent, but also an important source of funding for the war in Ukraine.

In recent years, Russia has been increasing its influence in Africa and the Middle East, including by deploying Wagner mercenaries there. The group is present in many countries, including Syria, Central African Republic, Mali, Libya, North and South Sudan.

As The Wall Street Journal previously wrote that Western officials and analysts suggest that internal conflicts in Russia could provide an opportunity for the US and other Western countries to regain influence in countries of Wagner operation.