The Russian presence in Libya through the Wagner mercenaries has become a clear threat to the security and stability of neighboring countries. Since its presence in Libya in 2019 in support of Haftar’s aggression against Tripoli, it has been seeking to implement what was known as “Moscow’s new strategy” to gain significant influence on the continent.
While the Wagner mercenaries are stationed in the south of Libya – the Al-Jufra base in particular – their activity continues in the neighboring countries of Libya, seeking to change some regimes and put pressure on others for Moscow’s gains.
Deby’s murder
The features of the Russian intervention in neighboring countries were evident in the killing of Chadian President Idriss Deby on the battlefront last April, against “rebels from the Front for Change and Accord,” stationed in Libya who were receiving training at the hands of the Russian “Wagner” mercenaries linked to the Kremlin, according to the Times newspaper.
Mali coup
In addition, Malian Defense Minister Sadio Camara, along with some members of the ruling military council, received training in Russia, describing Russia as a “friendly country” after the arrival of 4 Russian military helicopters to the country.
The Daily Beast website also revealed that two of the plotters of the August 2020 coup in Mali were in Russia for military training, and they went from Moscow to the capital, Bamako, days before the coup.
Central Africa
The director of research at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University, Joseph Siegel, revealed that more than 2,000 Wagner fighters have been sent to the Central African Republic since 2017, according to the “Foreign Policy” website.
Change of systems
The writer and military expert, Adel Abdul Kafi, believes that Wagner has become a threat to the countries neighboring Libya, as it seeks to use the opposition elements of those countries to achieve its goals of changing the regimes and empowering pro-Russian regimes, for example what happened in Chad and Mali.
Abdul Kafi added, in a statement to Arraed, that the United States, through its European allies, is seeking to limit the presence of Wagner mercenaries in Libya, to prevent them from using it as a base for military operations towards Libya’s neighboring countries.
African cake
While the military analyst Suleiman bin Saleh believes in a statement to Arraed that Russia is seeking – after strengthening its presence in Libya – to intervene in the African countries to harass its European opponents present in the region, in order to impose the principle of colonial partnership with these countries in order to obtain a share of the African cake, or to have their presence as a bargaining chip that will achieve a political victory in another part of the world.
French Anger
On the 24th of last September, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned his Russian counterpart against any involvement of the Russian “Wagner Group” fighters in the conflict in Mali.
international concern
In the same context, the military agreement that Mali seeks to sign with Wagner has caused international concern; While Wagner will earn $10.8 million per month to train troops and protect VIPs, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed Mali’s request from Wagner to help fight the “jihadists.”
Strengthen Relationships
Since 2015, Russia has signed bilateral military cooperation agreements with more than 20 African countries, including the two most populous countries on the continent, Ethiopia and Nigeria. The first Russian-African summit was also held, co-hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Egyptian counterpart Abdul Fattah El-Sisi, in the year 2019.
