Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki rejects predictions that after the death of the head of the Wagner group, Moscow's influence in Africa will decline, stating that mercenaries will become an even more deadly tool in the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Moravjecki spoke yesterday about the threat that the integration of Wagner under Russian leadership after the death of the mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin represents to Eastern Europe, but he also referred to its influence in Africa.
Wagner was active in several countries on the continent - primarily in the Central African Republic (CAR) and Mali.
The British newspaper Telegraph writes that Wagner encouraged instability, strengthened authoritarian regimes and plundered natural resources in African countries.
The group's political, military and economic activities will undoubtedly survive because they are too valuable for Moscow to allow to wither, given the group's ability to infiltrate key strategic regions and fuel anti-Western sentiment.
An example is the events in the African state of Niger, where the military junta overthrew the democratically elected president at the end of last month, severed ties with France and requested the help of Wagner, who is already active in several African countries, to stay in power.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Sunday, when the military coup happened, that Wagner did not cause instability in Niger, but that he was taking advantage of the situation.
He said the US was worried about the possibility of Wagner starting to operate because everywhere he went "death, destruction and exploitation followed", referring to his presence in Mali and Burkina Faso, which are also ruled by a military junta that ousted its president in a coup.
The US Treasury Department says Wagner also recently supplied the Sudanese Rapid Support Force with surface-to-air missiles and has been present in that country since 2017.
Wagner is economically crucial because he generates huge revenues for the Kremlin's war coffers by smuggling gold, diamonds and other minerals out of Africa to avoid Western sanctions.
Prigogine's Wagner imprint in Africa was built on blood and treasure, making deals that gave the group access to valuable resources that paid for its military support, writes the BBC.
As the war continues, Moscow will have to not only maintain these activities but expand them, and removing Prigozhin may help the Kremlin achieve this.
Removing a man who has become too powerful allows Putin to secure greater loyalty from the African governments he keeps in power.
Prigogine, even after he attempted a coup in Russia and withdrew, was allowed to meet with national leaders and diplomats at last month's Africa-Russia summit in St. Petersburg.
The paper states that this action of the Kremlin testifies to how seriously Moscow takes maintaining relations with African countries.
The adviser to the president of the Central African Republic, Fosten-Arshange Tauder, who depends heavily on Wagner, made it clear that relations with the Russian mercenaries would not change after Prigozhin's death.
"They'll find another boss," the adviser said.
Russian mercenary operations on the African continent will become even more effective as Wagner's funds become virtually unlimited. This growing threat is a dangerous part of a much bigger problem for the West, as Russia and China surge ahead in Africa while doing everything they can to drive away Western influence and economic leverage.
This is the moment for African leaders to truly apply African solutions to African problems, by implementing their conventions and building institutions and credible, accountable security forces.
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