Why Wagner Wins: Deconstructing Mercenary-Governmental Organisations within Russian Foreign Policy

Russia’s Wagner group has progressively gone from a shadowy, little known organisation to one of the consistent public bastions of Russian foreign policy initiatives, especially in the African continent’s political landscape. The organisation is known for its adaptive capabilities and strong outreach programmes for the often fragile African states, offering comprehensive security architecture in exchange for the state’s natural resources. 1 The Wagner model has seen quite consistent success in Africa, with the Wagner group’s total worldwide operations covering up to 30 countries including Libya, Syria, Mozambique, Ukraine, Madagascar, and Sudan, among others. 2