Russia is setting up a new 20,000-strong fighting group placed directly under the Ministry of Defense’s control for operations in at least five Russia-friendly African nations by mid-2024, as reported by Bloomberg.
The new group, named African Corps, would likely operate in Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali, the Central African Republic and Niger after a wave of military juntas ousted the civilian governments and eventually led to the withdrawal of French troops.
It would also take over private military company (PMC) Wagner’s operations in Africa following the group’s demise when its founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, died in a potential assassination in August 2023.
While Wagner remained in operation under new management – and they have been spotted slowly returning to the Ukrainian front, it is believed that most Wagner fighters were incorporated into various fighting forces under Russia’s Ministry of Defense’s command.
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