Report criticises UK government for poor response to Wagner Group in Africa

By Desmond Davies, GNA Correspondent, London

London, July 28, GNA – A report by British MPs has criticised the UK government for its poor response to the activities of the Russian Wagner Group in Africa.

Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) found that, for nearly 10 years, the government had under-played and under-estimated the Wagner network’s activities, as well as the security implications for Europe and its significant expansion in Africa.

The Chair of the FAC, Alicia Kearns, said: “In the 10 years since the Wagner network’s formation, the UK government has lacked a coherent strategy, and efforts to meaningfully tackle Wagner have been non-existent.

“This has allowed the network to grow, spread its tentacles deep into Africa, and exploit countries on their knees due to conflict or instability.”

The private military company (PMC) is involved in Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya, Mozambique and Mali.

The FAC report said the British government was “remarkably complacent” about the growing practice of states using PMCs for “malign purposes”.

The report called for a more coordinated response from the government and noted that it was “evident that a taskforce should have been established at least by 2016”.

Ms Kearns said: “We are deeply concerned by the government’s dismal lack of understanding of Wagner’s hold beyond Europe, in particular, their grip on African states.

“This is a fundamental failing of joined up government; ministers appear to be in denial about the consequences of failing to tackle this malign business model before it takes hold.

“The UK must provide an alternative for countries that are struggling; those who feel abandoned by the developed world and see the Wagner network as a provider of security. “Partnership with the Wagner network is not just beneficial to the Russian government, it is a foreign policy goal of the Kremlin to force failing states to rely on the Wagner network,” Ms Kearns added.

The FAC called on the UK government to “offer a genuinely compelling alternative to priority countries in need of security partnership and revive the previous commitment to channelling half of UK aid to fragile and conflict-affected countries and regions”.

Also, this week, the UK’s ambassador to the UN, James Kariuki, told the Security Council meeting on West Africa and the Sahel that the Wagner Group “has not and cannot deliver long-term security” in the sub-region.

“From Mali to Ukraine, and even Russia, all Wagner offers is chaos and destruction – and it is civilians who suffer most,” Mr Kariuki noted.

He said that was why the UK welcomed increased regional security coordination, including the Accra Initiative.

The Initiative aims to prevent a spill over of terrorism from the Sahel, as well as tackling transnational organised crime and violent extremism in member countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger and Togo.

Mr Kariuki told the Security Council: “We encourage efforts that provide coordinated and targeted support, including those that are complementary to wider regional initiatives.

“The UK is also reinforcing African security through our contributions to multilateral peacekeeping and conflict prevention; and our bilateral security partnerships, including with Ghana and Nigeria and bilateral humanitarian and development funding,” he added.

GNA

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