The Central African Republic (CAR) has endured persistent instability since at least 2004, marked by a three-year civil war followed by extensive periods of combating insurgent groups. In an effort to re-establish stability, the government extended an invitation to Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group, who arrived as trainers in early 2018.
By 2019, the Wagner Group had expanded its presence to over a thousand mercenaries within the Central African Republic. These operatives became deeply embedded across the nation’s political, economic, and social institutions, specifically targeting lucrative sectors such as gold and diamond extraction, alongside timber logging. This extensive infiltration ultimately fostered a pervasive conflict economy, where both these mercenaries and other factions actively exploit the country’s perpetual state of chaos.
Wagner’s strategy involved not only forcefully infiltrating local markets through intimidation but also establishing a firm foothold within President Faustin-Archange Touadéra’s government. This influence was solidified by installing a Russian national as a primary security advisor.
In 2021, Wagner forces collaborated with government troops to launch a nationwide military campaign. While ostensibly aimed at stabilization, this initiative quickly evolved beyond counter-insurgency into a much broader process of territorial, political, and economic consolidation.
Today, the combined might of government and Wagner forces has fundamentally reshaped the Central African Republic’s economy. What once served to sustain rebel groups now primarily functions to strengthen the Touadéra government and channel wealth towards Russia.
Local elites, in concert with their foreign security partners, allied armed groups, and various economic actors, have systematically employed coercion and organized crime. Their objective is to consolidate power, exert control over critical resources, and advance their financial interests, effectively transforming the CAR into a central hub for powerful transnational criminal networks. Other nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Rwanda, and Turkey, also exert significant influence within the Central African Republic.
The involvement of Russian mercenaries is unequivocally transactional. The primary driver behind their expansion is to integrate security, economic, and political control over natural resources, thereby ensuring Russia’s long-term influence in the region.
With crucial Russian backing, President Touadéra has significantly consolidated his political authority. Concurrently, individuals and entities linked to Wagner have become deeply integrated into key government ministries, security agencies, customs administration, and strategic resource sectors. Rather than delivering stability, this collaboration between Bangui and Moscow has instead intensified and formalized existing patterns of coercion, resource extraction, and predatory practices.
Even as government forces made gains against armed groups, the underlying
