mining

ADF STAFF Yevgeny Prigozhin built a violent and profitable mercenary network over the past five years in the Central African Republic (CAR), Libya, Mali and Sudan. His last days before his death in a plane crash on August 23 were spent in…

ADF STAFF Nothing could rattle the foundation of Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group more than the death of founder Yevgeny Prigozhin. Yet even that dramatic news is not expected to significantly impact the group’s operations in Africa.…

ADF STAFF Vast deposits of cobalt, copper, molybdenum and other metals have made the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zimbabwe important centers of the global mining industry as companies seek resources vital to modern…

ADF STAFF The Wagner Group has spread like a virus and infected the government, military and economic sectors of the Central African Republic (CAR) to the extent that experts say the country is now a laboratory of Russian influence. The…

ADF STAFF While Sudan’s rival generals fight to become the country’s chief military power, Russia and its proxy, the Wagner Group, have courted both sides of the conflict to remain in the good graces of whoever comes out on top. The power…

ADF STAFF While Sudan’s rival generals battle for control of the country, Russia’s Wagner Group mercenaries continue to cash in despite the chaos. As other mining companies suspended operations in the country, Wagner’s affiliate Meroe…

ADF STAFF Protesters in Sudan’s Red Sea State continue to call for the Sudan Armed Forces to shut down a gold mine it operates within the Dordeib military base. The protests are the latest public outcry against the practices of the…

ADF STAFF Rebel groups in the Central African Republic (CAR) are clashing with Russian Wagner Group mercenaries over access to the country’s mineral-rich mines. Numerous reports indicate a recent upswing in fighting, including an ambush…

ADF STAFF New reporting is showing how Russia uses its Wagner Group mercenaries to extract diamonds from the Central African Republic (CAR). Research published in December 2022 by Belgian newspaper De Standaard, the media network European…

ADF STAFF On a street in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, a poster appeared earlier this year with a succinct message accusing the ruling military junta of betrayal. It read: “Russia supported the coup so it could steal our gold.” There are…