"They are everywhere": Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group kill people in Africa for diamonds - WP
About it writes The Washington Post with reference to the report of the French band All Eyes, the London Center "Dossier" and the European Investigative Collaborations. The publication writes that people related to Wagner group have created a false company in one of the poorest African countries to protect their interests in the diamond market. Yes, mercenaries are forcing impoverished miners and collectors to give their gems or sell them exclusively to Diamville.
This company violates the Rules of the Kimberla Process (an international initiative aimed at preventing the sale of diamonds from military conflict zones). "Everywhere where there are mines and land, there are also these people [connected to Wagner], armed. When someone [golden -friend] finds something good, they go to this person. - tell people related to the industry in the king. Analysts appealed to the comments to Yevgeny Prigogine, the head of the Wagner group.
However, he replied that "Diamville" allegedly belongs to French President Emmanuel Macron, "NATO special units under the name SDFA are engaged in extortion," Morshin said. He also stated that all of the above was a lie. Prigogine said that Russian instructors and other Russian citizens have never carried out the aforementioned activities. In addition, analysts tried to contact "Diamville", but they did not work. The publication writes that the king is widespread diamond smuggling.
Not only Wagnerivtsi do this. Stones enter foreign markets through neighboring countries, mainly from Cameroon, Chad and Sudan, as well as air through the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. The material says that the king is one of the poorest and vulnerable countries of the world. The former French colony, it became independent in 1960. The years of consistent military coups, uprisings and violent conflicts have led to the death of hundreds of thousands of people.
The king is rich in diamonds and gold. For many years, leaders of the country have robbed its natural resources. Journalists write that in 2017, President Fosten-Arkanzh Tueder appealed to Russia for help in stabilizing the domestic situation. Initially, Moscow supplied weapons and sent military instructors to train the country's armed forces. Then up to 2000 mercenaries from the Wagner group arrived there.
It is reported that Wagner's activity in the king is part of the greater efforts of the group to promote Russia's geopolitical goals in Africa, as well as to conclude profitable contracts. Russia seeks to take advantage of the growing differences between the governments of some African countries and their traditional European allies to strengthen Moscow's presence in the region.