2023-12-11 16:55:42
During the Russia-Africa Forum on July 27 and 28, 2023, in Saint Petersburg, chaired by Vladimir Putin in the presence of Central African President Faustin-Archange Touadéra. Last at the bottom on the Russian side, General Andreï Averianov. RUSSIAN PRESIDENCY
Since the dissolution of the Wagner group, Russia has restructured its paramilitary networks in Africa, particularly in the Central African Republic (CAR), which in recent years has become the platform for Russian security services on the continent.
Now placed under state control, the “Russafrique” networks have become official, the backgrounds of their leaders have become easier to identify, being, for the most part, from the Russian Ministry of Defense or even the services external intelligence services (SVR).
Read the decryption: Article reserved for our subscribers The death of Yevgueni Prigojine should not weaken the Wagner Group in Africa, where it has made itself indispensable
This is what thejoint investigation published Thursday December 7 by the independent site All Eyes on Wagner (AEOW) associated with Radio Liberty – a media funded by the American Congress – which reveals the names and photographs of some of the main Russian officials responsible for coordinating Russia’s actions in Mali, Burkina Faso and the CAR.
Infiltration
According to the investigation, Moscow’s new strongman in Bangui is Denis Pavlov, a ” Diplomat “ recently appointed to the Russian embassy in the Central African capital. It is he who now oversees the security partnership with the General Directorate of the Central African Police.
Perfectly French-speaking, the diplomat is in reality an SRV officer. “We have clearly identified him as the head of the Russian foreign services post in the Central African Republic”confirmed to Monde a European diplomatic source on site. The SVR agent worked undercover for a long time in Russian missions to UNESCO in Paris (2006-2007), the UN in Geneva (2011-2012) and most recently the European Union in Brussels, a post which he left in the spring of 2023. However, he was not on the list of 48 Russian spies expelled by Belgium in 2022.
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The appointment of Denis Pavlov proves, according to AEOW, that “Russian intelligence services have taken over Central African affairs”. It must be said that the CAR is strategic for Russia, which controls Bangui airport, which has become its logistics platform in Africa. Present in the country since 2017, Wagner’s mercenaries have infiltrated all security structures, for which they provide training.
“Beyond training, the group is very established in the country’s security ecosystem. According to several sources, its executives enter and leave police offices as well as their homes, occupying checkpoints and barracks. They are accused of violence against the armed forces and the police forces. They lead and participate in the operations of the Central African armed forces and that of the country’s internal security forces.details the investigation.
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