Yevgeny Prigozhin Death, after the death of Prigozhin, the future of Wagner Army in crisis, will Russia’s dominance continue? – yevgeny prigozhin dead wagner army soldiers are facing uncertainty russia ukraine war

Wagner Group’s future in limbo

The crash has raised questions about the future of Prigozhin’s private army, the Wagner Group, which fought alongside Russian forces in Ukraine before their brief mutiny against the military leadership in Moscow. Russian officials have cited the need to await the results of a DNA test to confirm Prigozhin’s death, but Putin offered condolences after the jet fell from the sky. The Russian leader has ordered soldiers of the Wagner Group to sign an oath of allegiance to the Russian government, according to an order published late Friday on the Kremlin’s website and effective immediately. The order came after the Kremlin on Friday rejected suggestions by Western officials and news media that the Wagner leader may have been killed on Putin’s orders.

In African countries where Wagner provided security against groups such as al-Qaeda and Islamic State, officials and commentators anticipate Russia will likely maintain a presence there by providing new leadership to the forces. Others, however, say Prigozhin had built deep and personal relationships and it could be challenging for Moscow to quickly replace him. Africa is extremely important for Russia economically and politically.

This summer, Wagner helped ensure a national referendum in the Central African Republic that cemented the president’s power, is a key partner of Mali’s military in fighting armed rebels, and has liaised with the military junta in Niger. Kiya who wants its services after the coup. Expanding ties and reducing Western influence in Africa is a top priority as the Kremlin looks for new allies amid a war with Ukraine, where Wagner forces also helped win a key battle.

What is the reaction of western countries

The 54 countries in Africa are the largest voting group in the UN and Moscow has worked actively to garner their support for its attack. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said on Friday that Wagner’s troops were creating “destabilisation”. We have encouraged countries in Africa to condemn their presence as well as their actions. The UK Ministry of Defense said that Prigozhin’s death would certainly have a “profound and destabilizing effect” on the Wagner Group. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined Friday to comment on Wagner’s future.

Wagner Group was formed in 2014

Prigozhin founded the Wagner Group in 2014 with the aim of not only increasing Russia’s global influence. The group’s contractors in Syria, Libya, Sudan and elsewhere exploited the mineral and energy wealth of those countries to enrich themselves. Central African Republic legislator and opposition leader Martin Ziguele said the Wagner group was active in gold mining, timber and other industries without paying taxes. “We can only conclude that it was looting,” he said.

After the uprising, Wagner’s fighters went to Belarus in exchange for amnesty, as per the agreement between Putin and Prigozhin. While US officials have not confirmed whether Russia or Wagner had any role in the coup in Niger, there are fears the Kremlin could use it to undermine Western countries in West Africa. Mercenaries are active in Mali and have a suspected presence in Burkina Faso.

Russia’s influence will increase in Russia

Niger residents say Prigozhin’s alleged death will not deter Russia from seeking to expand its influence. “We believe Russia wants to establish a base here and become popular,” Barou Suleimanin, a tailor from Niamey, told the AP. It is clear that they want to stay here. A military junta seized power in Mali in 2020 and ordered the end of a decades-long UN peacekeeping mission, expelling French troops, diplomats and media.

Although not officially recognized by the government of Mali, Wagner’s troops are known to operate in the rural north, where rebel and extremist groups are active against the government. Human Rights Watch says that Mali’s military, in collaboration with Wagner’s suspected mercenaries, has been involved in massacres, looting and kidnappings. Ali Nouhoum Diallo, former speaker of the National Assembly, said, “What we experienced through Wagner is the genocide of our people.”

Will Wagner soldiers stay in Belarus?

The Belarusian Hajun, a group that monitors Russian troops in Belarus, said on Thursday that satellite images showed more than a third of the tents in the Wagner camp had been destroyed, indicating a possible escape. But President Alexander Lukashenko is pushing to keep around 10,000 troops in Belarus, which has been strongly opposed by opposition parties. “Prigozhin’s death should end the Wagner Group’s presence in Belarus, reducing the threat it poses to our country and its neighbors,” Sviatlana Tikhanovskaya, an exiled opposition leader from Belarus, told The AP.