Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has posted his first video address since leading a short-lived rebellion in Russia, appearing in a clip – possibly shot in Africa – on Telegram channels affiliated with the Wagner group on Monday.
Prigozhin moved into the global spotlight in June with a dramatic, short-lived mutiny that posed the most serious threat to Vladimir Putin in the president’s 23-year rule. The Wagner founder long benefited from Putin’s powerful patronage, including while he built a private army that fought for Russian interests abroad and participated in some of the deadliest battles of the war in Ukraine.
In Monday’s video, a person who appears to be the 62-year-old mercenary leader is seen standing in a desert area in camouflage and with a rifle in his hands. In the distance, there are more armed men and a pickup truck.
He says the Wagner group is conducting reconnaissance and search activities, and “making Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa even more free”. He then says Wagner is recruiting people and the group “will fulfil the tasks that were set”.
Reuters and Associated Press were not able to geolocate or verify the date of the video, but Prigozhin’s comments and some posts in the pro-Wagner channels suggested it was filmed in Africa.
Russian social media channels linked to the mercenary leader said Prigozhin was recruiting fighters to work in Africa and also inviting investors from Russia to put money into Central African Republic through Russian House, a cultural centre in the African nation’s capital.
The Central African Republic is one of the countries where Wagner’s soldiers for hire have been active and accused of committing human rights abuses. The Kremlin has used the Wagner group since 2014 as a tool to expand Russia’s presence in the Middle East and Africa.
The future of Wagner and Prigozhin has been unclear since he led a short mutiny against the Russian defence establishment in late June.
Under a deal brokered by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin agreed to end his rebellion in exchange for amnesty for him and his fighters and permission to relocate to Belarus. Before moving to Belarus, Wagner handed over its weapons to the Russian military, part of efforts by Russian authorities to defuse the threat posed by the mercenaries.
Putin branded Prigozhin a traitor as the revolt unfolded and vowed harsh punishment, but the criminal case against the mercenary chief on rebellion charges was later dropped. Unusually, the Kremlin said Putin had a three-hour meeting with Prigozhin and Wagner group commanders days after the rebellion.
A video in July apparently showed Prigozhin in Belarus but he was photographed after that on the sidelines of a Russia-Africa summit in the Russian city of St Petersburg. His current whereabouts are unknown.
With Reuters and Associated Press
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS93b3JsZC8yMDIzL2F1Zy8yMi93YWduZXItcHJpZ296aGluLXJlY3J1aXRpbmctcG9zdC1ydXNzaWEtcmViZWxsaW9uLXZpZGVvLWFmcmljYS1wdXRpbtIBcmh0dHBzOi8vYW1wLnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS93b3JsZC8yMDIzL2F1Zy8yMi93YWduZXItcHJpZ296aGluLXJlY3J1aXRpbmctcG9zdC1ydXNzaWEtcmViZWxsaW9uLXZpZGVvLWFmcmljYS1wdXRpbg?oc=5
2023-08-22 06:44:15Z
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