Russian Mercenary and Paramilitary Groups in Africa: Examining Changes and Impacts Since the Wagner Rebellion

The authors describe how Russia’s armed presence in Africa has changed from mid-2023 to September 2024. The authors seek to identify where Russian mercenaries have a presence in Africa, what types of activities they perform, and the resulting implications of mercenaries’ use for African governments, economies, and civilian populations. The authors also analyze African publics’ sentiment regarding Russian mercenaries and Russia itself.