Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who remains active despite leading a failed mutiny against the Russian army's top brass last month, hailed Niger's military coup as good news and offered his fighters' services to bring order
Wagner's role in Africa is a source of concern for Western governments, including France and the United States. Washington has accused the group of atrocities and imposed sanctions on it. Prigozhin says it works lawfully.Prigozhin, 62, appears to continue to enjoy freedom of movement despite what the Kremlin said last month was a post-mutiny deal that would see him relocate to neighbouring Belarus where some of his men have already started training the army.
The voice message's release coincided with the publication on Telegram of at least two photographs purporting to show Prigozhin meeting African attendees of aReuters verified the location shown in one of the photographs as the Trezzini Palace hotel in St Petersburg, the home town of both Prigozhin and Putin. The lanyard worn by the official from CAR he is shown meeting in the same photograph matches those given to the summit's delegates.
In new comments to Cameroon-based Afrique Media broadcast on Friday evening, Prigozhin lauded the way the Africa summit had gone, praising Putin for forging what he called one-on-one working relationships with African leaders based on trust. Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, said on Thursday that constitutional order in Niger should be restored.
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