Data from flight trackers and a Reuters correspondent reported that a military plane carrying a Russian delegation to Burkina Faso landed in the Central African Republic today, Friday. Wagner Group, a private Russian military company, has been operating in the Central African Republic since 2018, assisting President Faustin-Archange Touadéra in combating rebels and enhancing Russian influence in the mineral-rich country. Wagner also holds some privileges there, including a gold mine. The growing Russian influence across Africa raises concerns among Western powers, which seem to have lost ground in recent years amid a wave of coups. The new military leaders in Burkina Faso and Mali have abandoned old alliances with France, the former colonial power, coinciding with rising violence in both countries.
However, the future of Wagner's economic activities and military operations in the Central African Republic and other regions in Africa is uncertain following the death of the group's leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in a plane crash in Russia last week. Some security analysts suggest that the Russian state may seek to impose closer oversight on the organization following his death. According to data from FlightRadar, the plane landed in Bangui coming from Ouagadougou today, and a Reuters correspondent saw the plane with a Russian flag on the tarmac, while a security source confirmed that a delegation had arrived. The specific purpose of the visit remains unclear. The Government of the Central African Republic and the Russian Ministry of Defense have not yet responded to requests for comment.
Burkina Faso's presidency announced yesterday that interim president Ibrahim Traoré held talks with a Russian delegation led by Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, which included discussions on potential military cooperation. Before reaching Ouagadougou, the plane was in Bamako, the capital of Mali, where Wagner militants are aiding the military in fighting Islamist insurgents.
