The Wagner Group in Africa
Russia’s Quasi-State Agent of Influence
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7474491 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Elena Pokalova (College of International Security Affairs, National Defense University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 49 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 259-281 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-04 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Studies in Conflict and Terrorism (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1057-610X • E-ISSN: 1521-0731 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/1057610x.2023.2231642 |
| OpenAlex | W4382892860 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 21 |
Russia’s Wagner Group has attracted a lot of attention in connection to its actions in Ukraine. The group’s activities in Africa are less publicized. At the same time, Wagner has made substantial inroads in many countries of the African continent. This article focuses on the case studies of Libya, the Central African Republic (CAR), Sudan, and Mali and analyzes the nature of Wagner’s activities there. I demonstrate that Wagner’s service portfolio is much more extensive than that of traditional private military companies (PMCs) or private security companies (PSCs). The article illuminates Wagner’s influence campaigns that the group has carried out on behalf of the Russian government to advance Russia’s position in strategic competition with the West. Further, the article shows how Wagner’s services have expanded to parallel the many activities traditionally performed by state institutions while allowing the Russian state to deny involvement. I argue that Wagner’s Africa profile qualifies the group to be approached as a quasi-state agent of influence
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Covert Paradiplomacy
Can Minor Powers Swing between Major Powers under a Competitive International System
Shadows of power beneath the threshold
Great powers, the arming of non-state groups, and the prolongation of armed conflicts in the Middle East
Wagner Group Flows
The Russian invasion of Ukraine
The link between right-wing political radicalism and geopolitical action. The Yugoslav wars and the action of the opposing factions of the European extreme right
Looking in the mirror
Gendered extraction in Sudan
When the Market for Force Comes Home
The Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and PMC–State Relations in Russian Foreign Policy
From External Governance to Energy Diplomacy
The Matryoshka Strategy
Mali as a Theatre of Great Power Competition
Far-right European foreign fighters in the Yugoslav and Ukraine wars. Ideological and geopolitical implications between Westernist and Eurasianist radicalisms
Terminologically obscured, politically empowered
Decolonization of Post-Soviet Higher Education
Do mercenaries perform better than states? Evaluating the Wagner group's impact on Central African Republic
Russia's state capture strategy in Africa, from Wagner to the Africa corps
Selling security to Africa
Russia's Wagner Group/Africa Corps
| Unique citing works | 21 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 7 |
| Citation span | 2023 - 2026 (4) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 19 |