A monument commemorating Yevgeny Prigozhin, the late founder of Russia’s Wagner Group, has been unveiled in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR). The statue, which also features Prigozhin’s close associate Dmitry Utkin, honors their controversial contributions to the country’s fight against rebel groups and their broader influence in Africa.
The statue portrays Prigozhin clad in bulletproof gear, holding a walkie-talkie, while Utkin stands beside him gripping an AK-47 rifle. The unveiling ceremony, attended by CAR’s Defence Minister Rameau Claude Bireau and senior military officials, was described by the national police as a symbol of the strong bilateral ties between CAR and Russia.
Since 2018, Wagner Group fighters have been active in CAR, invited by President Faustin-Archange Touadéra to assist in combating rebel insurgencies. In addition to their military involvement, Wagner-linked companies have secured lucrative contracts to exploit the nation’s abundant natural resources, including gold and diamonds.
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Despite being rich in minerals like oil, uranium, and diamonds, CAR remains one of the world’s poorest nations, plagued by decades of instability since gaining independence from France in 1960. While violence has decreased in recent years, sporadic clashes continue between rebel groups and the Wagner-supported national army.
Critics argue that President Touadéra’s reliance on Wagner mercenaries comes at a steep cost, with Russia allegedly leveraging its military support to gain access to CAR’s valuable resources. The unveiling of the monument has added to the growing discourse surrounding the group’s activities in Africa and its broader geopolitical implications.
Prigozhin, who founded Wagner in 2014, initially focused the group’s operations in the Middle East and Africa. However, the mercenary group became more prominent after being deployed to Ukraine in 2022. Both Prigozhin and Utkin died in a plane crash in 2023, leaving a contentious legacy of military intervention and resource exploitation.
For CAR, the statue represents not just a diplomatic gesture but also the enduring and complex relationship with Russia, marked by both cooperation and controversy