The British Foreign Office announced on Thursday, November 7, sanctions against several Russian mercenary groups in Africa, including the Africa Corps, considered Wagner’s successor, the first from a G7 country.
The new sanctions package has as its particular objective “three private mercenary groups with ties to the Kremlin, including the Africa Corps, and eleven individuals associated with Russian proxies”that they have “Threats to peace and security in Libya, Mali and the Central African Republic”according to the London press release.
The groups Africa Corps, Bear Brigade and PMC Española are accused, among others “of having committed widespread violations of human rights throughout the continent” AND “Exploit the natural resources of these countries for their benefit”with the aim of expanding the Kremlin’s sphere of influence, he says.
“These new measures will continue to oppose the Kremlin’s destructive foreign policy, undermining Russia’s attempts to foment instability in Africa”declared the head of British diplomacy, David Lammy, quoted in this statement.
“A blow to the heart of Putin’s war machine”
This new round of fifty-six sanctions is “the most important decision against Russia since May 2023” and must allow “blow to the heart of the war machine [Vladimir] Putin”says the ministry.
Russia, which was a key player in Africa during the Soviet era, has been increasing its influence in African countries in recent years. Russian mercenary groups like Wagner, or its successor Africa Corps, support local powers and “advisors”According to Moscow, they officiate with African officials. This is particularly the case in the Central African Republic and the Sahel countries.
In addition to mercenary groups, London’s sanctions target around thirty suppliers of the “Russia’s military-industrial complex”in order to “limit the flow of crucial military equipment that Putin desperately needs for his illegal war in Ukraine”underlines the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Ghost fleet” of communication agencies
These entities based in China, Türkiye and Central Asia are, according to the United Kingdom, “involved in the supply and production of equipment, including machine tools, microelectronic products and drone components”used by Russia in Ukraine.
London also sanctioned a member of the Russian military intelligence agency GRU, whom it accuses of having “I used the neurotoxic product Novichok” in the English city of Salisbury, where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal was the target of a poisoning attempt in 2018.
Supporting Ukraine from the beginning, the United Kingdom has in recent months adopted sanctions against “ghost fleet” Russian communication agencies, which he accuses of disinformation, or even against organizations involved in the “deployment of barbaric chemical weapons” in Ukraine.
