Strange Bedfellows: Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin solicits US sponsorship for new project in Africa

Moscow: Adversity makes strange bedfellows. The US and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s sword arm and vanguard against Ukraine, the Wagner Group, could end up in each other’s embrace, or at least, that’s what the Prigozhin-led mercenary force is proposing.

The Wagner Group that is essentially fighting against US-led NATO arms and ammo in the Ukraine War has made a special demand from the United States.

Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has written a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to “support” the group’s efforts “in ensuring safety and security in Africa by sponsoring a new project”.

‘Support effort in ensuring safety in Africa’

In his letter to Blinken, Prigozhin said: “I invite you (US) to support Wagner PMC’s efforts in ensuring safety and security in Africa by sponsoring a new project named Wagner. Safe Africa (WSA), in which you can invest, thereby, saving American taxpayer money.”

The Wagner chief further claimed that the group has been “doing this way more efficiently that American proxies, who get paid large amount of money but don’t provide security to Africa.”

“Every single Wagner PMC project was financed by me as a private entity and was distinguished by the high efficiency of each invested dollar,” he claimed

‘Focus solely on security Wagner can provide’

Prigozhin told Blinken that since most Africans “do not trust” the policies of France and the US, and their trust ratings are “very low”, “I suggest that you abandon the attempt of political influence in Africa and focus solely on the security that Wagner can provide.”

Expansion plans

Prigozhin further suggested Blinken that if the joint project WSA proves successful, US and Wagner group PMC can “expand it to the American continent”.

“In the case of fruitful cooperation, we can expand our area of influence and launch projects WSA-2 — Wagner. Safe America, WSA-3 — Wagner, Safe Asia, WSA-4 — Wagner. Safe Australia and WSA-5 — Wagner. Save Antarctica,” said Prigozhin, requesting Blinken to send US representative to discuss the issue.

‘US actively trying to reshape African pie’

Commenting on Blinken accusation that Russian mercenary Wagner Group of bringing “violence and instability” to Africa, Prigozhin said he has noticed that while his group has been “busy” in Ukraine, the US and other nations were “actively trying to divide the African pie and impose sanctions on anyone who opposed”.

He went on to claim that the “long-term attempts of the United States and its satellites to ‘restore order’ and ensure security in Africa have not borne any fruit.”

Prigozhin said back in 2017-2018, when Wagner PMC started actively operating in Africa, it “managed to achieve great results in establishing security and order in every country we have been present in.”

Wrapping up his Africa tour last week, Blinken said: “Where Wagner’s been present, bad things inevitably follow. We have seen countries find themselves weaker, poorer, more insecure, less independent as a result of their association with Wagner.”

“And we have also seen Wagner engage in the exploitation of natural resources, bringing corruption with it, bringing violence with it – overall worsening security, not improving it,” the US Secretary of State had said.

According to reports, nearly 1,000 Wagner Group mercenaries are believed to be operating in Mali. Over the past year they have been accused of human rights violations.

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