Institute for Security Studies

Wagner debacle in Russia raises red flags for African states and how they manage their security

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, June 28, 2023
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This was no less true in Africa, where some countries have, over the last decade, turned to the Wagner group for security support.

Key Points: 
  • This was no less true in Africa, where some countries have, over the last decade, turned to the Wagner group for security support.
  • This includes violent extremism, terrorism, insurgency, banditry, communal clashes, sea piracy, separatist violence, kidnapping and oil theft.
  • The aborted Wagner rebellion offers distinct lessons for African countries that have invited mercenary troops onto their soil.
  • This must include repositioning their military and law enforcement agencies to respond effectively to internal and external security challenges.

Non-state actors


    African countries have come to depend on non-state actors like Wagner for security in three ways:
    • In 2015 the Nigerian government awarded a multi-million naira contract to Oodua Peoples Congress, an ethnic militia, to secure oil pipelines.
    • Seven years later the Nigerian Senate lent legislative support to the N48 billion pipeline surveillance contract awarded to Global West Vessel Specialist Limited.
    • He was the former commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, popularly known as Tompolo.
    • They were an affront to the Nigerian constitution, which empowers the law enforcement and security agencies as ultimate providers of security.
    • In 2019 Wagner fighters were deployed to Mozambique to help contain Islamist militants operating in the northern Cabo Delgado province.

Implications

    • The Wagner rebellion in Russia has three possible implications for African countries.
    • Rebellion: States in which the Wagner group is operating could witness armed rebellion.
    • In some, the military and police have already ceded critical security operations to the group.
    • In addition, non-state armed groups could draw their cue from the Wagner group and become unaccountable to the military.

What’s next?


    African countries that have invited the mercenary troops in should review their security architecture. This must begin with a decoupling of their security policies and operations from mercenaries and non-state security service providers.