Privatization of Security in the Russian Strategy: From Wagner to the African Corps

Abstract

At the end of 2023, a special formation known as the African Corps was established within the organizational structure of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. A combination of factors prompted the Russian political and military leadership to create this new entity, foremost among them the geopolitical transformations taking place across the African continent and the rapid decline of French influence in the countries of Central Africa. These developments coincided with the reduction of the French military presence in the region. In addition, the mutiny led by the leadership and a number of fighters of the private military company Wagner within Russia made it necessary to replace the group. Unlike Wagner, which had enjoyed a certain degree of operational autonomy, the African Corps was established as a military formation directly subordinate to the Russian Armed Forces.