In his first video post since leading the rebellion in late June, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Russian private military group Wagner, appeared in a clip on channels affiliated with him on Telegram today, possibly filmed in Africa. He states in the video, "The temperature is over 50 degrees and things are going the way we want. The Wagner Group is making Russia great across all continents and making Africa freer. We are working towards achieving justice and happiness for the African peoples; we are turning life into a nightmare for ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and other bandits." He mentioned that Wagner is recruiting people and will accomplish "the assigned tasks." The video includes a phone number for those interested in joining the group.
In comments posted in late July, Prigozhin praised the coup that took place in Niger and stated that his forces are ready to increase their presence in Africa. Since he led a brief mutiny against the Russian defense establishment in late June, the future of Wagner and Prigozhin has remained unclear, with the Kremlin stating that he and some of his fighters, who fought in some of the fiercest battles of the Ukraine war, would be leaving for Belarus.
