Sudan: Janjaweed RSF militia chief Hemeti met with South Sudanese officials from Abyei in Nairobi Jan 3

ACCORDING to this article, the primary purpose of the meeting cited was to follow up on previous discussions held in Khartoum regarding the final status of Abyei and the repatriation of Abyei citizens who had sought refuge in Sudan prior to the Sudanese crisis. Who is giving Hemeti such confidence and authority to attend to such matters? Who is in charge of Sudan? Let's not forget, in 2020 Russia signed a deal with Sudan for a naval base in the Red Sea, in return Russia will provide arms and training for Sudan's military.

Read more from Sudan Tribune
Dated Sunday, 07 January 2024 - here is a copy in full:

Sudanese RSF leader pledges safe passage for Abyei and South Sudan returnees

Hemetti met with several South Sudanese officials from Abyei area in Nairobi on January 3, 2023 [2024?]

January 7, 2024 (JUBA) – General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo “Hemetti”, the head of the Sudanese paramilitary group Rapid Support Force (RSF), has reaffirmed his commitment to facilitate the safe return of Abyei natives and South Sudanese nationals who have fled the conflict in Sudan.

The pledge was made during a meeting with Abyei leaders Francis Mading Deng and Luka Biong Deng in Nairobi, Kenya on January 3, 2024. The meeting, which lasted for an hour, was characterized as amicable, open, and forward-looking by Francis Kuol, a former Sudan cabinet affairs minister.

The primary purpose of the meeting was to follow up on previous discussions held in Khartoum regarding the final status of Abyei and the repatriation of Abyei citizens who had sought refuge in Sudan prior to the Sudanese crisis. Francis Deng, who has also engaged in similar discussions with General Burhan, the head of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, in New York, USA during his participation to the United Nations General Assembly in September 2022, added that he had also held similar dialogues with General Malik Agar, the Deputy Chairman of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, during his visits to Juba.

The Abyei leaders expressed their appreciation to Daglo for his endeavours to bring an end to the brutal civil war in Sudan and his historic diplomatic initiatives to neighbouring African countries in pursuit of peace.

The meeting touched upon three critical issues: peace in Sudan, the potential role of South Sudan under the leadership of President Salva Kiir in facilitating Sudanese peace, and the repatriation of Abyei natives displaced and stranded in RSF-controlled areas.

Deng highlighted the pivotal role that South Sudan, under the leadership of President Salva Kiir Mayardit, could play in mediating Sudanese peace. He emphasized the urgent need to establish secure conditions to enable the return of Abyei citizens displaced by the conflict in Sudan and the crucial role of the RSF in securing transit routes for the return of South Sudanese citizens.

The authorization of the meeting by President Salva Kiir and members of his administration remains unclear. The South Sudanese ambassador in Kenya declined to comment when asked if he had been informed of the arrangement.

Hemetti, heads the paramilitary Rapid Support Force, which has been engaged in a war against the Sudan Armed Forces under the command of its chief and Chairman of the Transitional Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, since April 2023.

The RSF has been out of the public eye for several months. He utilized this period to embark on diplomatic missions to neighbouring countries and participate in global events and functions.

In late December 2023, the head of the Sudanese paramilitary group made his first wartime diplomatic trip to Uganda, where he met with President Yoweri Museveni. He also met with leaders from Uganda, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, South Africa, and Rwanda. (ST)

View original: https://sudantribune.com/article281083/

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Further Reading

The Maritime Executive - 13 December 2017

Russia Moves Forward with Syrian Naval Base - excerpt:

"For Russia, a naval base in Syria . . . is always a place where Russian navy men can take a short rest and hold quick repairs, if necessary. Taking into account that the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions are of strategic importance for world security, Russian forces should stay here indefinitely," said Mikhail Nenashev, chairman of the All-Russian Fleet Support Movement, speaking to Pravda.

The base at Tartus has been under Russian control since 1971, and Russia finalized a 74-year renewal agreement with Syria in January with a 49-year lease followed by a 25-year automatic extension. The enlarged facility will operate outside of Damascus' legal jurisdiction, and Syria will not interfere with any military activities related to its operation. Separately, Russia has also renewed its lease on a military airbase in Western Syria for a period of 50 years. 

Full story: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/russia-moves-forward-with-syrian-naval-base

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The Maritime Executive - 09 December 2020

Russia Signs Deal With Sudan for Naval Base on the Red Sea - excerpt:

The agreement provides the Russian Navy with access to Port Sudan for a period of 25 years, with automatic renewal every decade thereafter. It may keep up to four naval vessels at a time at the port, including nuclear-powered vessels - an important consideration for Russia's submarine fleet. For logistics, Russian forces have permission to use Sudanese ports and airports to deliver any needed "weapons and equipment" to keep the port running. On-base manning is limited to 300 Russian personnel. 

In return, Russia will provide arms and training for Sudan's military, extending a role it already plays in the country. Last year, Russia and Sudan signed a seven-year agreement that provides the Sudanese government with military support, and Russian military advisors have participated in Sudanese public security operations. 

Full story: https://maritime-executive.com/article/russia-signs-deal-with-sudan-for-naval-base-on-the-red-sea

ENDS

South Sudan named in most dangerous countries to visit - “security” highest warning level of “extreme”

Report from The Independent - independent.co.uk/news/world
By Helen Coffey
Dated Friday, 15 December 2023 - here is a copy in full:

World’s most dangerous countries to visit in 2024 revealed

Lebanon, Palestinian Territories and Russia have all seen notable risk rating increases

The world’s most dangerous countries to visit in 2024 have been revealed in a new study.

South Sudan, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and Somalia were named as the riskiest nations in the 2024 risk map compiled by medical and security consultancy International SOS.

The annual map assesses various factors to inform travellers and businesses about potential threats in countries across the globe.

It pulls together medical and security risk ratings, reflecting the impact of events such as the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas.

This year, for the first time, the map also includes ratings based on the dangers of climate change, after International SOS saw a rising trend in the number of climate-related alerts being issued to clients as rising global temperatures increased health risks around the world.

The data, compiled by Inform (a collaboration between the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change and Joint Research Centre of European Commission), estimates the future risk of humanitarian crises and disasters caused by climate change.

“Just one example, the extreme heat events this year, with the first ever named heatwave Cerberus hitting Europe, may become commonplace,” said Dr Irene Lai, global medical director at International SOS.

“In addition to the physical impacts of extreme heat, there can be significant negative effects on mental health. It is essential businesses plan for this, adapting our way of living and working to protect health, while also taking steps to slow and eventually reverse the trend in rising temperatures.”

Countries were graded for each category of risk – medical, security and climate change – on a five-level scale ranging from “low” to “very high” for medical and climate change, and “insignificant” to “extreme” for security.

For “security”, Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, South Sudan, Central African Republic and Somalia were all given the highest warning level of “extreme”.

Parts of Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Russia and across the Sahel all saw increases in security risk, alongside Ecuador and parts of Colombia following a rise in criminality and unrest.

View original: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/most-dangerous-countries-world-2024-b2464568.html

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US State Department and Arab League start talking about urgent Middle East issues and Sudan conflict

Report from News Track Live - newstracklive.com
By ANIKET DIXIT
Published on Thursday 20 July 2023 at 03:05 PM - here is a full copy:

US State Department and Arab League start talking about urgent Middle East issues

Riyadh: Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the secretary-general of the Arab League, and Antony Blinken, the secretary of state of the United States, met on Wednesday in Washington to discuss the urgent issues surrounding the Middle East.

The US State Department claimed in a statement on its website that the "strategic dialogue" is a "opportunity for us to work even more closely together on the many issues that are affecting the lives of people in all of the countries represented by the Arab League as well as the United States."

The comprehensive conversation, which Aboul Gheit described as the first of its kind at the level of the US state secretary and GCC secretary-general, will "explore further the level of cooperation" and "deepen the relationship."

The statement made no mention of specifics, but some news reports have quoted political analysts as saying that, now that Syria has been readmitted to the 22-member alliance, the US will follow up on its earlier statement for the Arab League to press the Assad regime to address pressing issues.

The northwest regions of Syria, which are controlled by the opposition and home to more than 4 million displaced people, have been requested by the UN for greater access by international aid organizations. The UN Security Council was unable to come to an agreement last week to maintain the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing, which permits aid organizations to enter from Turkey.

During the height of the so-called "Arab Spring" uprisings, Syria's membership in the league was suspended in 2011 due to the Assad regime's deadly crackdown on dissent. The UN estimates that the ensuing armed conflict has resulted in the deaths of 306,887 civilians and the displacement of more than 12 million Syrians, including 5.4 million who as of 2022 were refugees in other countries.

Other urgent regional issues that are anticipated to be covered in the Arab League-US dialogue include the conflict in Sudan, Israel's escalating land aggression against the Palestinians, Yemen's peace initiative, and more.

View original: 

https://english.newstracklive.com/news/us-state-department-and-arab-league-start-talking-about-urgent-middle-east-issues-sc57-nu355-ta355-1286214-1.html

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China's Xi congratulates Arab League meeting

Report at China Daily

By MO JINGXI China Daily - Xinhua contributed to the story

Dated Saturday 20 May 2023; 06:47 - full copy:

Xi sends congratulations to Arab League meeting

Arab leaders pose for a family photo ahead of the Arab League summit, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 19, 2023. Photo/Agencies

President Xi Jinping said on Friday that China is ready to work with Arab countries to promote China-Arab friendship, implement the outcomes of the first China-Arab States Summit and build a higher level of strategic partnership.

Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory message sent to Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the Arab League, on the convening of the 32nd Arab League Summit in the Saudi port city of Jeddah.

The Arab League, committed to seeking strength through unity in the Arab world, has been actively promoting peace, stability and development in the Middle East, he said.

Referring to Saudi Arabia as an important force in the multipolar world, Xi expressed appreciation for the country's active contribution to strengthening solidarity among Arab countries and maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East.

The president noted that the China-Arab strategic partnership, which has witnessed fruitful results in recent years, has become an example of South-South cooperation and win-win cooperation.

During the first China-Arab States Summit held in Riyadh last December, the leaders agreed to build a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era, promote regional peace and development and uphold international fairness and justice.

The summit was an epoch-making milestone in the development of China-Arab relations, Xi said.

Looking ahead, China is willing to work together with the Arab countries and continue to write a new chapter of China-Arab friendship, Xi said.

The 32nd Arab League Summit, which kicked off on Friday, will discuss regional and global issues that are crucial to the region's stability.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attended the summit for the first time since his country was suspended from the Arab League after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

The readmission of Syria to the pan-Arab body, the ongoing conflict in Sudan, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will top the agenda of the summit.

Original: https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202305/20/WS6467fc83a310b6054fad4144.html

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Britain to blacklist Russia Wagner group as terrorists - Mercenaries given same status as Isis and al-Qaeda

Britain is poised to formally proscribe the Wagner group of mercenaries as a terrorist organisation to increase pressure on Russia

Proscription would make it a criminal offence to belong to Wagner, attend its meetings, encourage support for it or carry its logo in public, putting it on the same footing as groups such as Islamic State and al-Qaeda

It would also impose financial sanctions, which would be significant because the group and all its members would be barred from using UK courts to silence journalists and campaigners. Officials said it would have implications for Wagner’s ability to raise money if any funds went through British financial institutions

More recently, there have been fears the group could try to expand its presence in Sudan as the country slides towards civil war

Read more from The Times

By Steven Swinford, Political Editor 

Matt Dathan, Home Affairs Editor

George Grylls, Defence Reporter

Dated Wednesday May 10 2023, 12.01am - full copy:

Britain to blacklist Russia’s Wagner group as terrorists

Mercenaries will be given same status as Isis and al-Qaeda

Britain is poised to formally proscribe the Wagner group of mercenaries as a terrorist organisation to increase pressure on Russia.

The group has played a central role in President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and is leading attempts to take the eastern town of Bakhmut, which has become a focus of the war for both sides.

A government source said that, after two months of building a legal case, proscription of the group was “imminent” and likely to be enacted within weeks.

Proscription would make it a criminal offence to belong to Wagner, attend its meetings, encourage support for it or carry its logo in public, putting it on the same footing as groups such as Islamic State and al-Qaeda.

It would also impose financial sanctions, which would be significant because the group and all its members would be barred from using UK courts to silence journalists and campaigners. Officials said it would have implications for Wagner’s ability to raise money if any funds went through British financial institutions.

Meanwhile, Putin launched a fresh tirade against the West during a scaled-back Victory Day parade in Moscow to commemorate the end of the Second World War. He accused the West of “unleashing war against Russia” and said supporters of Ukraine included “neo-Nazi scum”.

There were signs, however, of the toll the Ukraine war had taken on the Russian army. In Moscow just one tank took part in the parade on Red Square — a Second World War-era Soviet T-34 — and planned celebrations in at least 21 Russian cities were cancelled.

Wagner, often referred to as a private military company, is a group of mercenaries accused of human rights abuses that came to international attention after the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014. It is led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, an ex-convict and former hotdog seller known as “Putin’s chef”.

Prigozhin, 61, was able to use British courts to bring a libel case against Eliot Higgins, a British journalist, after revelations by his website Bellingcat about the group’s shadowy operations. The case collapsed in March last year after the outbreak of war in Ukraine and personal sanctions imposed on Prigozhin, but government sources said it was an example of how proscription could help to prevent Wagner’s influence and operations in the UK.

For many years Wagner was closely linked with the Kremlin but the invasion of Ukraine has led to strains in the relationship between Prigozhin and Putin. In an expletive-strewn outburst last week, Prigozhin said “scumbag” Russian generals were responsible for the deaths of Wagner fighters as he accused them of depriving them of ammunition in the nine-month battle for Bakhmut.

The Bakhmut offensive has cost Moscow thousands of casualties. Wagner, which is using prisoners to fight alongside its professional recruits, has sustained many of the losses.

As well as the war in Ukraine, the group has been involved in numerous conflicts across Africa and the Middle East — fighting for control of goldmines in the Central African Republic and helping to prop up President Assad’s regime in Syria. More recently, there have been fears the group could try to expand its presence in Sudan as the country slides towards civil war.

There has not been evidence that Wagner or individuals linked to it are operating in the UK since the war in Ukraine started and proscription is largely seen as a symbolic move. However, a government source said there had been “suspicions” that the group had helped launder money out of the UK along with organised crime groups after financial sanctions were imposed against Russian oligarchs and Putin allies in the wake of the war.

In order to proscribe the group, the Home Office would need to build a case for why the legal step was required, which could include references to classified intelligence.

Some Whitehall sources expressed cynicism over the move, given the lack of involvement of Wagner in the UK. One source said: “I don’t suppose anyone walks around London saying ‘I’m a member of the Wagner Group’. This sounds more like someone in government itching to find something else to punish Putin with.”

David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, said: “It is only right that the government appears to be finally listening to Labour’s calls for its proscription as a terrorist organisation.”

IMAGE 

GRAPH MAP

PHOTO

Wagner is still recruiting heavily in Russia

MAXIM SHIPENKOV/EPA

PHOTO

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, has accused Russian generals of causing the deaths of his fighters in Bakhmut through ammunition shortages

AFP/GETTY IMAGES

View original: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/government-russian-wagner-group-africa-putin-war-2023-rtfjcwjxb

Arab League forms Arab group to address Sudan crisis

Report from Big News Network

By China View Xinhua

Dated Monday 08 May 2023 - full copy:

Arab League forms ministerial committee to address Sudan crisis

CAIRO, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The Arab League Council issued a resolution on Sunday to form an Arab ministerial contact group to communicate with the Sudanese parties and influential countries, aiming to reach a settlement of the crisis in Sudan.

The resolution, made during the Council's emergency meeting in the Egyptian capital Cairo, is meant to intensify Arab efforts to find a peaceful solution to the current conflict in Sudan between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that erupted in mid-April.

Under the resolution, the contact group would include representatives from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the Arab League, according to an Arab League statement.

The contact group will hold communication with the Sudanese parties, influential countries regionally and internationally as well as relevant international organizations, according to the statement.

The committee aims to reach a complete and sustainable ceasefire in Sudan and address the causes of the crisis.

It will further coordinate with international relief organizations to provide urgent humanitarian and medical support to citizens and displaced persons inside Sudan.

The group will also work to help those taking refuge in neighboring countries.

The Council also stressed the need to fully respect Sudan's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and not to interfere in its internal affairs to avoid fueling conflict and threatening regional peace and security.

View original: https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/273823326/arab-league-forms-ministerial-committee-to-address-sudan-crisis

[Ends]

Mayhem unfolding on docks of Port Sudan. Hundreds waiting for an escape route. Scale of displaced is huge

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: I am noticing many journalists and commentators referring to the fight in Sudan as "civil war" or "war". It is not civil war or war. It is a fight between two greedy lying psychopathic despots.

Report from Sky News

By Yousra Elbagir

Africa correspondent @YousraElbagir

Friday 28 April 2023 22:34, BST UK - full copy with link to video report:

Yemenis and Syrians gathered on docks of Port Sudan feel as though war has followed them

Hundreds of people from all over the world are gathered waiting for an escape route. The sheer scale of people displaced is yet to be fully comprehended.

Image: Hundreds are gathered from countries all over the world - fresh from the hell of Khartoum's violence.

Mayhem is unfolding on the docks of Port Sudan.

Hundreds are gathered from countries all over the world - fresh from the hell of Khartoum's violence.

They are gathered in front of Port Sudan's Maritime Social Club. It's now an announcement and registration centre for evacuation ships.

Every so often a name and passport number are loudly called and the hopes of hundreds are raised for a fleeting moment and - for all but one - abruptly dashed.

Image: A Saudi Arabian ship in the Port of Sudan

The Sudanese faces in the crowd are few compared to the masses of Yemenis and Syrians registering to board an incoming Saudi Arabian military evacuation vessel.

They fled their own war to seek refuge in Sudan and feel as though it followed them here.

"We are suffering," says Raiida. "We didn't even see war like this in Syria."

Raiida was in Sudan visiting her brother for a week and became trapped by the conflict.

The war has collapsed Sudan's capital Khartoum and killed hundreds of people and injured thousands.

"Life there can not be endured. Basic means are not available - no pharmacies, no hospitals. Food and water are completely depleted and houses near us were demolished," says Mutaz Abbas, a Khartoum native who left his hometown behind.

The sheer scale of people displaced is yet to be fully comprehended.

As we discuss the details of destruction, an older lady pleas with us: "Don't talk about the conflict. Talk about asylum! We need asylum."

Hours earlier in the stifling heat of the seaside afternoon, a ferry pulls into Othman Digna Port in Suakin city.

The passengers have made a ten-hour journey from Saudi Arabia to Sudan. It is the first transport route to open out of the country and reserved for those who cannot afford to wait until airports reopen.

Many of them are pilgrims returning from Makkah and say they were offered temporary amnesty but instead rushed to return home.

"Death will come to you anywhere," says Ibrahim Eltayeb as the ferry cuts through the deep waters of the Red Sea towards Sudan.

"It is important to be with our families."

View original: https://news.sky.com/story/yemenis-and-syrians-gathered-on-docks-of-port-sudan-feel-as-though-war-has-followed-them-12868757

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Wagner was requested by Sudan's Bashir. Counter-terrorism is Wagner’s primary African focus

Report from defenceWeb.co.za

Dated Tuesday 25 April 2023

Exclusive: Wagner founder Prigozhin says counter-terrorism is company’s primary African focus

Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Founder of Russian private military company Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has defended his company’s activities in Africa, saying that his involvement on the continent is mainly to defeat terrorism and help countries liberate their territories from insurgents.

defenceWeb was granted an exclusive interview with Prigozhin in Moscow, where he elaborated on a number of topics. Prigozhin emphasised that Wagner is not funded by the Russian government and that all funds for its operations come solely from Prigozhin’s business dealings. He went on to add that Wagner only works for legitimate governments and isn’t involved in any coup plots, nor in assisting terrorists gaining a foothold in any country. The only conflict that Wagner has engaged in which wasn’t on the side of a sitting government has been in eastern Ukraine’s Donbass where Wagner assisted militias in Donetsk and Luhansk between 2014 and 2015. Wagner is also currently spearheading attempts to capture the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. According to Prigozhin, Wagner is “always on the right side of justice” when deciding which contracts to accept and which to decline.

Elaborating on Wagner’s role in Africa, Prigozhin told defenceWeb that at first there was no focus on the continent, but Africa first came onto the radar when Wagner was fighting in Syria (Russia began supporting Syria’s Bashar al Assad in 2015) and demonstrating ‘extreme efficiency’ in destroying ISIS. With between 1 500 and 3 000 men, Wagner carried out tasks which were beyond the strength of the 200 000 Syrian Army troops plus thousands of allied troops, he said. After this put Wagner on the map, Prigozhin started receiving requests from the heads of several countries to help deal with terrorism.

These included President Faustin-Archange Touadera of the Central African Republic (CAR), President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique, and many others. Prigozhin explained that as these countries did not have the financial resources to mount effective counter-insurgency campaigns, they offered to pay in minerals. However, Prigozhin said that in many cases these resources were exaggerated – for example, Central African Republic diamonds are not very lucrative due to high input costs, but “if you pledge don’t hedge; and if you give your word, you must keep it!” He explained that between 2016 and 2019, for example, profits from some business operations in the Central African Republic were absolutely zero.

Wagner activity in the CAR picked up in December 2020 when rebels attacked and captured the CAR’s fourth-largest city, Bambari. Touadera asked Russia and Rwanda to help protect the country as rebels were trying to march towards the capital Bangui and if they were not stopped, they would have slaughtered a thousand men and literally cut off their heads and ripped out beating hearts, ‘to feast on’. Instead, Prigozhin explains, 200 Wagner instructors managed to hold back the onslaught on Berengo near the capital. After Touadera called for help, Wagner sent an aircraft to Bangui every two hours with armed men who’d land and go straight into the jungle. All these costs were borne by Prigozhin, he said, as no one helped him and he funded the whole operation himself.

Prigozhin believes that if he didn’t assist Touadera, he would have been rounded up with a couple of hundreds of supporters and died with them. “I could not be idle when asked for help. He [Touadera] is just a good man who didn’t run away to a neighbouring state but was prepared to die, rather than let the bandits enter the capital,” Prigozhin told defenceWeb through a translator.

He related how, when the first Wagner aircraft landed and rebels were halted a few kilometres from Bangui, Touadera – “unlike many clowns who do nothing but wear leopard robes” – put on his flak jacket and went straight into the jungle to show government soldiers that he’s no coward. “That is what I believe every president of every country at war should do – he must wear a bullet-proof vest and get into the thick of it – because it is better to die a hero, than to live as a coward! I ended up in Africa because I could not, in times of conflict, abandon the people I had promised to help,” Prigozhin said.

Although Wagner does not need to be involved in Africa, “I am certainly involved on the continent,” Prigozhin stated. “We are in Africa to protect those who ask us for help. To protect African civilians, to protect their national interests from terrorists and bandits, some of whom are not even of African origin at all. This is done solely from the funds that I earn as a businessman.”

Wagner has been accused of causing civilian deaths, with Human Rights Watch (HRW) saying Russian mercenaries committed serious abuses, both in the CAR and Mali, including torture and killings, but according to Prigozhin the stories about the genocide of civilians are “one hundred percent fake. This is being done by the French and the Americans, who are failing to destroy militants and terrorists globally, because they are lazy and quite frankly, useless. They’re used to sitting in their bases, just guarding themselves while we are actually patrolling the jungle destroying terrorists. Local authorities have carried out investigations which have debunked the hoaxes that have been made about alleged violence against civilians.” Prigozhin was adamant that not a single unarmed person has ever been killed by Wagner in the company’s entire history.

Not an arm of the Kremlin

Wagner has often been said to be a de facto unit of the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) or Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU. Prigozhin refuted these allegations, saying he has nothing to do with the GRU, the Russian Ministry of Defence, nor the Kremlin. “Moreover, I will tell you that the stories about my acquaintance with President Putin are very, very exaggerated. Certainly, I have communicated with him, but the rumours of our acquaintance are only that – rumours.”

Prigozhin said he first met Putin only when he was President, although he most likely visited Prigozhin’s restaurants in St Petersburg when Putin was the deputy mayor and at the time “I had no interest in talking to him.” Prigozhin is not in Putin’s inner circle, he said, and “I do not have the opportunity to visit him whenever I want to, or call him.”

As far as the Russian Ministry of Defence is concerned, Prigozhin said Wagner in fact has a stormy relationship with this government department, as “I have always criticised them and I will continue to criticise them. I am in favour of the Russian army being super-efficient. While there are certainly times when you have to put someone on the spot or use someone else’s help, these are extremely rare cases. I can tell you with certainty that when I was training the army in Sudan, fighting in Mozambique or in Central Africa, I did not inform anyone.”

“It’s no secret that a huge number of countries turn to us, as our high efficiency is visible to all. Indeed, Wagner is not engaged in protection, it is engaged in the liberation of states, combating terrorists and invaders. That is why there are so many requests, including from leading countries. Wagner is however an effective, potent weapon.

“Of course, we must consider the interests of Russia in our cooperation with other countries. We are, after all, patriots of our country. Unfortunately, within Russia itself many decision-makers don’t give a damn about patriotism and guarding our national interests, but that is a whole different story,” Prigozhin concluded.

TAGS

Central African Republic

Russia

Wagner

Yevgeny Prigozhin

View original: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/exclusive-wagner-founder-prigozhin-says-counter-terrorism-is-companys-primary-african-focus/

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