Russian Wagner Forces (French)

The African Corps is a Russian military formation that was unveiled in early 2024 to be an alternative to the Russian Wagner Group, and this program reflects Russia's quest to expand its military influence on the African continent, and give it the legitimacy of the official and public presence in the face of the European and American presence.

Central Headquarters

The Corps is distributed among 5 African countries: Libya, Burkina Faso, Mali, the Central African Republic and Niger. Libya hosts the central headquarters for several factors, including: the activity of Wagner elements previously in the city of Sirte, 450 kilometers east of the Libyan capital Tripoli, as they were stationed at the "Al-Qaradabiya" air base and the sea port of Sirte, in addition to the "Al-Jufra" air base (south), and the "Brak Al-Shati" air base, which is 700 kilometers south of Tripoli.

Another factor in the choice of Libya as the headquarters of the Corps is its connection to the Mediterranean coast, a strategic location to ensure military supply lines and the movements of the Corps elements to other African countries.

Structuring

The African Corps Department reports directly to the Russian military administration and is overseen by General Yunus Bey Evkurov, Russia's Deputy Defense Minister.

The core of the corps consists of Wagner groups, elements of which have been integrated into the second and third row commands within the corps, in addition to more elements within the scope of a military force of at least 40 to 45 thousand fighters, and the corps consists of two to 5 divisions depending on combat capabilities and size of elements.

Personnel and recruits

According to some observers and analysts, the corps has 40,45 to 2023,<> fighters. Recruitment and recruitment operations began in December <> in a number of African countries and in Russia, and recruitment announcements have been published since the first ten days of the same month on military channels on Telegram.

It is expected that the African Corps will not completely disengage from the Wagner Group, as it has prioritized joining members of the Russian Wagner mercenaries, who make up almost half of the total number of members of the Corps, and then to Russian fighters who participated in the Russian war on Ukraine.

Portrait of some Russian Wagner fighters in the Central African Republic (Anatolia)

It also opened the door to African military and fighters who have high combat capabilities and multiple competencies, including driving combat vehicles, tanks, driving drones, radar systems and air defense systems.

The corps is likely to include multiple nationalities, including Russian, Syrian and African nationalities.

The salaries of fighters in the Russian African Corps are about $3200,<>, with the possibility of receiving them in foreign currencies abroad, in addition to access to medical care and a number of social benefits, as well as life and health insurance at the expense of the federal budget.

Objectives

In 2023, Russia was able to enter politically strongly into a number of African countries that were historically, economically and even militarily under French domination.

Russia presented itself as a champion of African independence from European colonialism, by supporting emerging political regimes opposed to the French presence in countries such as Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali and Central Africa.

Politically, and given the changing balance of power, which was an indication that the region is about to undergo new transformations, the Russians seek to benefit from them strongly, especially as they find support in the Sahel and Sahara countries, and from important regional powers that share with Moscow political orientations and plans for new geostrategic positions.

On the ground, the formation of the African Corps allows the Russian Ministry of Defense to work to confront Western influence and remedy Moscow's position in Africa after 3 decades of disengaging from the African continent, based on the Kremlin's confirmation that the United States and its NATO allies are the main opponents of the Russian presence in Africa, including France.

The Africa Legion's stated goal is to help counter the West's neo-colonial influence on sovereign African states, protect Wagner oil and gold sites that Wagner had previously gained access, and provide anti-existent groups and Western policies within African countries with weapons and training to support secessions from France, the continent's historic colonizer, as well as African regimes under U.S. control and European allies.

Funding

The African Corps is directly linked financially and organizationally to the Russian regime after the adoption of amendments to the Russian Armed Forces Budget Law in December 2023, allowing the Russian Guard to include formations of volunteers and foreigners.

Source : Al Jazeera + Websites