Dakar, Senegal (AP) – Meanwhile, Russia is increasing its military presence in Africa as Kremlin-backed forces supply advanced weaponry to the expanding conflict zone in sub-Saharan Africa. Moscow is employing cargo ships to transport tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, and other valuable military hardware to West Africa, in an effort to circumvent sanctions imposed by Western nations.
Using satellite imagery and radio communications, the AP undertook a nearly month-long journey from the Baltic Sea, tracking a convoy of Russian cargo ships. According to European military officials who monitored the activity closely, the vessels transported howitzers, radio jamming systems, and other military assets. This delivery may bolster the newly formed Russian African squadron as Moscow competes with the US, Europe, and China for greater influence across the continent.
The African legion, operational for two years and linked to a clandestine branch of the Russian army, is gaining traction in a region where European forces are retreating. As military operations in sub-Saharan nations diminish, these countries are increasingly looking towards Russia for security.
Over the past decade, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have been engaged in battles against groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Initially, the conflict involved mercenaries with connections to the Kremlin. However, Russia is increasingly deploying military personnel and intelligence resources more directly.
“We aim to strengthen collaboration with African nations in all spheres, focusing on economic partnerships and investment,” stated Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin. “This cooperation extends to sensitive areas related to defense and security.”
From the port, Russian armaments are transported to Mali
Russia’s cargo ships Baltic leaders and Patria, weighing 8,800 tonnes and 5,800 tonnes respectively, are among hundreds of vessels blocked by Western nations. These resources are crucial to Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine. Satellite imagery from the AP revealed the ship docked and unloading in Conakry, Guinea, in late May.
Other ships had delivered similar cargo to the same port back in January, transporting tanks, armored vehicles, and additional hardware over land to neighboring Mali, as confirmed by video evidence from European military officials showing lengthy convoys.
Military officials granted the Associated Press briefings about Russia’s activities on the condition of anonymity. The AP verified the video footage and geo-located it along the RN5 Highway leading to Bamako, the capital of Mali.
This undated photo, distributed by the French army, shows three Russian mercenaries in northern Mali. (French Army via AP)
Following the latest delivery at Conakry, trucks transporting howitzers and other equipment, along with Russian-made armored vehicles, were spotted on the overland route to Mali.
The ORTM has reported that military assets from West African countries are receiving new military gear. An AP analysis of video and images taken by local bloggers at the same location as the January delivery identified a wide variety of Russian-made equipment, including 152 mm artillery and other small caliber ordnance.
AP also confirmed the presence of wheeled BTR-80 armored vehicles equipped with radio jamming systems, in addition to Spartak armored vehicles and other heavily armed transports. The cargo included at least two shallow-draft boats, one of which bore a Russian flag and another marked “flammable” in Russian.
Military officials relayed to the Associated Press their belief that Russia is supplying its most advanced equipment, particularly artillery and jamming systems, to the African units as opposed to Mali’s army. The African squadron reportedly has been outfitted with air assets, and satellite images have identified at least one SU-24 fighter jet at a military base in Bamako in recent months.
Moscow’s notorious secret unit
For years, French forces operated to counter insurgency in Mali and its neighboring countries of Burkina Faso and Niger. However, France withdrew its troops from Mali in 2020 and 2021, and from Burkina Faso in 2022 and Niger in 2023, leading to a power void filled by Russian mercenaries.
The infamous Wagner Group was deployed to Sudan in 2017 and expanded its influence across other African nations in exchange for mining rights.
It has garnered a reputation for committing atrocities, as noted by Western and UN human rights authorities, with incidents reported in the Central African Republic, Libya, and Mali.
A RAND study sponsored by the U.S. government indicates that Wagner dominates operations across 33 African nations where Russian military contractors are active.
However, following the Wagner Group’s rebellion against the Russian leadership in 2023, and the suspicious death of Yevgeny Prigozhin two months later due to a plane crash, Moscow tightened its control over military operations in Africa, shifting the command structure back under the Kremlin’s purview.
According to European Union reports, the activity is supervised by the commander of Unit 29155, one of the most notorious branches of Russia’s shadow GRU military intelligence. This unit is alleged to have been behind covert actions against Western interests for years, including attempts at interference and assassination.
The EU sanctioned Major General Andrei Abelinov of Unit 29155 in December, claiming he is charged with overseeing operations of the African Corps.
“In many African countries, Russian military forces are likely to undermine legitimate democratic governments while providing security to military regimes, thereby deteriorating the stability, security, and democratic processes within those nations,” stated the EU’s sanction ruling. Such operations are expected to be funded by exploiting the continent’s natural resources.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has yet to respond to inquiries regarding Abelinov’s role in the African Corps.
This satellite image shows Patria, a Russian-flagged cargo ship unloading military vehicles in Conakry, Guinea on May 27, 2024. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
Recruiting African Squadrons
Researchers and military officials note that the influx of Russian weaponry seems to be accelerating the African squad’s edge over Wagner, helping them supplant the mercenaries loyal to the group. The African Corps are also actively recruiting in Russia, offering up to 2.1 million rubles ($26,500) alongside additional compensation for deployment contracts with the Ministry of Defense.
Shortly after the latest delivery, Wagner announced its exit from Mali. In a post on Telegram, they declared the mission completed.
The African squad has publicly stated its intent to remain.
Julia Stanyard, a researcher focused on Russian mercenary operations in Africa, indicated that the shift from Wagner to African squads in Mali could herald similar transitions across other regions of the continent.
Militant groups in Mali inflicting substantial losses on the Malian military and Russian mercenaries have been active. The al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM group executed numerous soldiers in attacks this month at a military installation. The rebels also killed many Wagner mercenaries in northern Mali last July.
According to military sources, some of the latest equipment may have been shipped specifically in response to those attacks. For instance, jamming technology could help counter roadside bombs activated via mobile signals.
In this image, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, left, and Guinea’s Foreign Minister Morissanda Kowiet shake hands near a portrait of Guinea’s President Konakry on June 3, 2024.
Russian escort red flag
The latest convoys have attracted attention as the Russian naval ship Boikiy escorted them after departing from Russia’s Kaliningrad region in the Baltic Sea.
In October, Boikiy’s radar system was considered a provocative act by military officials from the French Navy’s Maritime Guard, maintaining oversight over alleged Russian efforts to disrupt underwater cables.
The convoy also included Siyany Severa, another Russian cargo ship in the fleet. It continued its journey after the Baltic leaders and Patria disembarked at Conakry, heading to Butter in Equatorial Guinea.
A satellite image from May 29 showed trucks queued at the dock as the cargo was offloaded. The AP could not verify whether the cargo included arms or determine the ultimate destination for the shipment. Notably, Wagner maintains a stronghold in the nearby Central African Republic.
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Leicester reported from Paris and Beezecker from Washington. Beatrice Dupuy and Rachel Lieser of New York contributed.
Source: apnews.com