'Russian mercenaries accused of deadly attacks on mines on Sudan-CAR border', 21 June 2022

Russian mercenaries have mounted a series of bloody attacks on artisanal mines in the lawless border zones between Sudan and Central African Republic (CAR) in an effort to plunder the region’s valuable gold trade, witnesses and experts have said.

Dozens of miners are thought to have died in at least three major attacks this year allegedly involving mercenaries working for the Wagner Group, a private military company that has been linked to the Kremlin by western officials. There are also reports of further attacks on mines in at least six other places across CAR...

The three biggest incidents took place on 13 March, 15 April and 24 May. Most of the victims were migrant workers from Sudan and Chad working in the goldmines, though some local civilians are also thought to have died...

Since arriving in CAR four years ago to defend the government against rebels, the Wagner Group has made efforts to establish control over the flow of gold and diamonds. Analysts believe the group was initially promised gold and other mining concessions in place of cash payments for its services. Such concessions have gained in importance as the rouble has come under pressure since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Precious metals, especially gold, could help Vladimir Putin’s regime survive the economic impact of sanctions.

Analysts said recent attacks appeared to be more like raids for plunder rather than efforts to secure and extract resources over months or years. “There are regular reports of attackers arriving by helicopter, killing artisanal goldminers and rebels … [then] taking everything they can and then leaving. Sometimes they come back again a month or so later and do the same thing. It is nothing to do with securing a mining site,” said Pauline Bax, the deputy Africa director of the International Crisis Group...

Wagner has been active in a dozen countries across Africa, and has been repeatedly accused of human rights abuses on the continent. Western officials allege the Kremlin is using Wagner to advance Russian economic and political interests across Africa and elsewhere...

CAR’s former prime minister Henri-Marie Dondra has said there is no contract between his country and “a Russian private security company … only a military cooperation agreement with Russia”...