The Central African Republic unveiled a monument Tuesday to Yevgeny Prigozhin, the late founder of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, marking the latest symbol of Moscow’s expanding influence in the mineral-rich nation.
The statue, installed in the capital Bangui, depicts Prigozhin in bullet-proof attire holding a walkie-talkie alongside his deputy Dmitru Utkin, who is shown carrying an AK-47 rifle. Both men died in an August 2023 plane crash near Moscow, two months after leading a failed mutiny in Russia.
Defence Minister Rameau Claude Bireau and senior military officials attended the unveiling ceremony, with the national police describing the monument as “part of the bilateral relationship” between CAR and Russia. The installation joins an existing statue in Bangui showing Russian troops protecting a woman and children.
Wagner forces have operated in CAR since 2018, when President Faustin-Archange Touadéra invited them to combat rebel groups. The organization, now renamed Corps Africa but still operating as Wagner in CAR, has secured contracts to exploit local gold and diamond mines.
“It was said that 80% of the territory was occupied by armed groups. Today, thanks to this co-operation, these figures are completely reversed,” Touadéra told the BBC in December, defending the mercenaries’ continued presence.
The relationship highlights Russia’s growing footprint in Africa, though critics argue Touadéra’s government allows mercenaries and other groups to exploit CAR’s resources in exchange for security support. Despite vast mineral wealth including diamonds, gold, oil, and uranium, CAR remains one of the world’s poorest nations, plagued by instability since gaining independence from France in 1960.
