Mercenaries

ADF STAFF Chinese private security companies (PSC) are a growing presence in Africa, where they often are tasked with protecting major infrastructure projects connected to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. China claims about 10% of the…

ADF STAFF Since the death of Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash in August, some of its mercenaries have moved on to other organizations, while the Russian Ministry of Defense and Prigozhin’s 25-year-old son, Pavel, both…

ADF STAFF Violent clashes between Russian mercenaries and civilians near gold mines in the Central African Republic (CAR) have been commonplace for years. Following the invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s thirst for African gold appears…

ADF STAFF In Frederick Forsyth’s 1974 novel, “The Dogs of War,” a band of mercenaries slips into a small, fictional African nation at the direction of a Western tycoon bent on deposing the nation’s dictator to exploit valuable platinum.…

In Russia’s frenzied attempt to flex its muscles, get access to natural resources and increase its geopolitical relevance, it relies heavily on private military companies (PMCs). This strategy produces a small foreign footprint and offers…

BY CYRIL ZENDA A ruthless and shadowy insurgent group has taken root in northern Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province. The Islamic State-aligned militants, known as Ansar al-Sunna — “supporters of the tradition” — emerged in October 2017…