US-Russia battle for influence plays out in Central African Republic
By Sam Mednick, The Associated Press
Sep 14, 2024, 09:00 AM
BANGUI, Central African Republic — Hours after Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin rebelled against his country’s top military leaders, his private army’s biggest client in Africa panicked, turning for help to his foe in the West.
Officials from Central African Republic, where some 1,500 of Prigozhin’s shadowy Wagner Group mercenaries were stationed, wrote a letter that day, requesting to “rapidly” arrange a meeting with a private U.S. security firm to discuss collaboration.
Dated June 23, 2023, the day Prigozhin launched the armed rebellion, the letter sparked a series of private meetings, culminating in a deal with the central African nation and Bancroft Global Development. That sparked backlash from Russian mercenaries, according to a dozen diplomats, locals and analysts.
https://www.defensenews.com/global/mideast-africa/2024/09/14/us-russia-battle-for-africa-sway-plays-out-in-central-african-republic/
