A soldier from the Central African Armed Forces wearing a Wagner Group patch.
Since its arrival in CAR in 2018, the Wagner Group has supported the Touadera government’s violent campaign against anti-government armed groups. While civilians have borne the brunt of this brutal campaign, the government, with Wagner’s support, has created a parallel armed force, both in the presidential guard and in the regular army, that was recruited without proper vetting and received only marginal training from Wagner itself. These units report directly to the president and his Wagner advisors rather than through the regular chain of command. In recompense, the Touadera government has granted Wagner associated companies lucrative mining licenses, while expelling communities to set up industrial scale production.
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Security Topics: External Actors in Africa