Wagner Group faces further sanctions
Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group faces more sanctions for “human rights abuses” in Africa and Ukraine. Africa is increasingly important to Russia – isolated by the West since the invasion of Ukraine


Military and political engagement 	Economic and political

1 2014, Ukraine: Lieutenant colonel Dmitry Utkin (left) and his mercenary squad take part in annexation of Crimea 
Group named after Utkin’s call sign, Wagner

2015: Yevgeny Prigozhin (below) – close ally of President Vladimir Putin – becomes Wagner's patron
                
2 2015-18, Syria: Wagner supports Russian military. 100 Wagner members killed in U.S. air strike

3 2016-20, Libya: 1,000 Wagner fighters estimated to have fought alongside General Khalifa Haftar

4 2017-2019, Sudan: Group fights on side of dictator Omar Bashir

5 2017, CAR: Wagner involved in training troops and control of diamond mines

6 2019, Mozambique: Group fights jihadists in north. Leaves after 7 Wagner deaths

7 2021, Mali: Wagner Group deployed to provide security against Islamic militants.
Move precedes French military withdrawal in 2022. EU accuses Wagner Group of extrajudicial killings in Mali


Jan 2023: Paris agrees to pull its troops out of Burkina Faso following demand from Russian-backed anti-French junta

FRANCE
UKRAINE
RUSSIA
SYRIA
LIBYA
MALI
BURKINA FASO
SUDAN
CAMEROON 
CENTRAL AFRICAN REP.
KENYA
MOZAMBIQUE
MADAGASCAR  
1 2 3 4 5 6 7


Sources: Brookings, The Grey Zone 
Pictures: Free Russia Forum, Getty Images 
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