“They [Wagner] have protected the elites in Bangui, fought back Bozizé's rebels and they haven't lost a lot of people doing that. But they are not getting a good return on investment other than some individuals profiting from access to resources they got in return for their services. Beyond irritating the West, Russia has no strategic interest in the CAR per se. They have never been historically interested in the country. But the CAR was supposed to be part of what you may call a 'corridor of influence' across this part of the African continent, starting in Sudan and then going on into Congo. Ukraine puts a stop to that. They are overstretched and, of course, Russia is not China. They don't have deep pockets. So as far as building that corridor of influence is concerned, it's back to the drawing board.”
20 May 2022
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