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Russia says plan to boost role in Africa includes 'sensitive' security ties
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 9, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
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Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 9, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Russia aims to boost its presence in Africa, focusing on defense and security, with the Africa Corps remaining active in Mali.
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia plans to step up cooperation with African countries, including in "sensitive areas" such as defence and security, the Kremlin said on Monday.
Russian mercenary group Wagner said last week it was leaving Mali after helping the military junta there in its fight with Islamist militants. But the Africa Corps, a Kremlin-controlled paramilitary force, said it would remain in the west African country.
Asked what this meant for Russia's role in Africa, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "The Russian presence in Africa is growing. We really intend to comprehensively develop our interaction with African countries, focusing primarily on economic and investment interaction.
"This also corresponds to and extends to such sensitive areas as defence and security. In this regard, Russia will also continue interaction and cooperation with African states."
Russia's growing security role in parts of the continent, including in countries such as Mali, Central African Republic and Equatorial Guinea, is viewed with concern by the West, and has come at the expense of France and the United States.
Russia's Africa Corps was created with the Russian Defence Ministry's support after Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and commander Dmitry Utkin led a failed mutiny against the Russian army leadership in June 2023 and were killed two months later in a plane crash.
About 70-80% of the Africa Corps is made up of former Wagner members, according to several Telegram chats used by Russian mercenaries seen by Reuters.
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Mark Trevelyan and Gleb Stolyarov; Editing by Mark Trevelyan/Guy Faulconbridge)
Russia plans to step up cooperation with African countries in sensitive areas such as defense and security.
About 70-80% of the Africa Corps is made up of former Wagner members, according to several Telegram chats used by Russian mercenaries.
Russia's growing security role in Africa, particularly in countries like Mali and the Central African Republic, is viewed with concern by the West.
Dmitry Peskov stated that the Russian presence in Africa is growing and that Russia intends to comprehensively develop its interaction with African states.
The Wagner Group announced it was leaving Mali after assisting the military junta in its fight against Islamist militants.
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