The Russia continues its military establishment in Africa, consolidating its presence in a context where Western powers are seeing their influence decline. After the Mali, Burkina Faso and the Central African Republic, Moscow now seems to be turning towards Equatorial Guinea. According to several sources, up to 200 Russian instructors have recently been deployed to train local armed forces and strengthen the protection of the Equatorial Guinean presidency, particularly that of the vice president Theodore Nguema Obiang Mangue.
These Russian soldiers would belong to theAfrica Corps, an entity that would have taken over the group’s activities Wagner in Africa after the disappearance of its founder, Evgeni Prigogina. Their mission includes training elite guards and strengthening the country’s defense capabilities, even though the son of the current president, known to be close to Moscow, is in the running for succession. This deployment follows bilateral discussions in September, where the Equatorial Guinean president thanked Vladimir Putin for sending these instructors.
The arrival of the Russians in Equatorial Guinea seems to be part of a strategic logic aimed at expanding Moscow’s network on the continent, particularly in states where relations with Western powers are tense. Russia exploits this context by offering these African governments security solutions and a geopolitical alternative, while strengthening its own military and economic positions.
Recruitment ads, which appeared in June 2024 on Russian platforms dedicated to private military jobs, offered lucrative contracts for missions in Equatorial Guinea. This military reinforcement in this central African country could mark a new phase in Russian influence strategy in Africa, as Moscow targets strategic regions and influential political actors to perpetuate its interests.
Belgium
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