Russia’s growing engagement in Africa is gaining attention. The Wagner Group, a shady mercenary organization, is the centerpiece of this activity. Since 2015, it has become an important security player in at least a half-dozen countries across the continent. The Russian government denies any connection, but Wagner is widely believed to be close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and doing Russia’s bidding.
The U.S. government and European partners have been quick to condemn African governments that have accepted Russian mercenary support but have failed to offer a better alternative. For more than a decade, Western security sector assistance across the continent has failed to bring stability, all while insulating bad actors from the consequences of poor governance and corruption. In fact, terrorism on the continent has become more widespread and deadly in recent years.
Since 2019, the Pentagon has considered reducing its footprint in Africa, due both to the failure of counterterrorism efforts to bring security and the need to redirect resources to more pressing U.S. national security interests elsewhere. Africa’s terrorist groups pose little meaningful threat to the United States, after all. But Russia’s expanding influence in Africa, and China’s growing engagement, are spurring renewed interest in a hard-power presence to ensure our competitors there don’t get the upper hand.
