Officials in the Central African Republic (CAR) have revealed that Russia has urged the country to replace the private Wagner mercenary group with Moscow’s state-run Africa Corps and pay for its services. However, CAR's government has shown reluctance, as they view Wagner as more effective and prefer to settle payments through minerals rather than cash.
Wagner has been active in CAR for years, providing protection to President Faustin Archange Touadera and assisting in his victory in a 2023 constitutional referendum that could extend his rule indefinitely. In exchange, Wagner has gained access to the country’s mineral wealth, including gold.
Since the death of Wagner's leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in a 2023 plane crash, Russia has sought to transition from Wagner to Africa Corps, which was also deployed to Mali earlier this year. A CAR military official disclosed that the Russian deputy defense minister made the request for this transition and payment during multiple visits to the country earlier this year. Despite this, CAR officials remain hesitant, believing that Wagner’s private operation offers greater efficiency compared to the Africa Corps, which is directly controlled by Russia’s defense ministry.
The official noted that Wagner’s connections with local officers, operational fear factor, and resources make them more effective. According to Russian demands, CAR would need to cover Africa Corps’ personnel costs and pay billions of CFA francs (millions of dollars), but CAR authorities have expressed their inability to meet this financial requirement. Instead, they hope to compensate Russia with strategic minerals such as gold, uranium, and iron.
A senior CAR lawmaker, familiar with the ongoing negotiations, confirmed the Russian demands but declined to discuss the details. The Kremlin has yet to respond to requests for comment.
CAR has been embroiled in conflict since 2013, when Muslim rebels overthrew the president. A 2019 peace deal saw partial success, but six of the fourteen armed groups later withdrew. Wagner played a key role in preventing rebels from reclaiming the capital in 2021. In contrast to Wagner, which engages in combat alongside CAR forces, the Africa Corps focuses more on training, raising concerns about its potential effectiveness in CAR, according to Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
Laessing noted that while Russia forced Mali to accept the transition, CAR may have limited options after expelling European forces. France, CAR’s former colonial ruler, withdrew its troops in 2022 following a dispute with CAR authorities.