Wagner making ‘Africa even more free’, says Prigozhin in a video

Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian oligarch and the mercenary leader, has posted his first video address since leading a short-lived rebellion in Russia in late June. 

Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin released video footage of himself while wearing camouflage and holding a rifle. Reportedly, the video was possibly shot in Africa. 

The video clip was reportedly posted on Telegram channels affiliated with the Wagner group on Monday. In the video, Yevgeny Prigozhin said that the Wagner group was conducting search activities and “making Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa even more free.”

However, the exact date of the video could not be verified. Yevgeny Prigozhin’s comments suggested that the video was possibly shot in Africa.

In the video, Yevgeny Prigozhin praised the Wagner group and Russia. He said that Wagner was able to tackle terrorist groups in the region. He further revealed that Wagner wanted to increase its presence in Africa.

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He went on to say that Wagner recruited many people and they would fulfill the tasks that were set. According to Prigozhin, recruited fighters would work in Africa. He also invited investors from Russia to invest money into the Central African Republic, a landlocked country in Central Africa. 

In June, Prigozhin agreed to leave Russia in a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Prigozhin also allowed the troop withdrawal from Russia. The Wagner chief ended his rebellion in Russia in exchange for amnesty for him. According to reports, the Wagner group also handed over its weapons to the Russian military. Under terms of the agreement, Prigozhin also went into exile in Belarus. 

The Wagner group had been active in many parts of Africa, including the Central African Republic and Mali. According to reports, the Wagner group previously sent mercenary deployments to Syria, Libya, Mozambique, Mali, and Sudan.