• 8 Posts
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Joined 2 years ago
Cake day: September 19th, 2023
  • pdqcp@lemmy.dbzer0.comtoUkraine@sopuli.xyz•A Russian Su-24 was reportedly shot down in Africa.
    13·
    6 months ago

    Siegfried is right on the money. There is a great book about it too, if anyone is interested, by John Lechner:

    Death Is Our Business: Russian Mercenaries and the New Era of Private Warfare

    If you want something shorter:

    https://xcancel.com/Tatarigami_UA/status/1662844428854099969

    New satellite imagery and official reports present evidence that the insufficient response to Wagner’s activities in the Central African Republic fuels their aggressive expansion. For additional details on bloodstained African gold, please refer to my 🧵thread and video:

    Upon arriving in CAR, Wagner sought control over gold and diamond flows as part of resource securing efforts, often resorting to violence. For instance, last year, Wagner fighters attacked gold mines near the CAR-Sudan border.

    Wagner Group obtains control over CAR’s gold and diamond mines, along with timber forests by providing armed support to the authorities. Taking advantage of the limited interest in Africa and restricted operational access, Wagner evades accountability for multiple crimes.

    For example, in February 2021, escaping refugees reported that Wagner forces arrived in their town and committed a mass killing to establish dominance over nearby gold mines. The source link can be found in the image description.

    According to a 2021 UN press release, the Wagner Group is involved in severe and systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. These violations encompass arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances, and mass summary executions.

    In 2020, the U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on two companies: M Finans and Lobaye Invest. These companies are involved in providing “security services” in exchange for gold and diamond extraction. Despite sanctions, it appears that Wagner expansion continues

    In addition to gold and diamonds, other resources like coffee and wood are also being extracted. According to French journalist @MathieuOlivier , Wagner has expanded its logistical operations into neighboring Cameroon, with the port of Douala serving as their commercial hub

    Wagner’s growing operations in Africa, particularly in the CAR, fund their campaigns in Ukraine and worldwide, enabling unhindered expansion. Insufficient international responses reinforce their colonial strategies, marked by executions and resource exploitation.