UK has failed dismally to grasp power of Wagner, say MPs

Foreign Affairs Committee calls for the group to be designated terrorist

Russian officers from the wagner group are seen around Central African president Faustin-Archange Touadera, as they are part of the presidential security system during the referendum campaign to change the constitution and remove term limits, in Bangui, Central African Republic July 16, 2023. REUTERS / Leger KokpakpaShow less

The UK government has been accused of having a “dismal” lack of understanding about the threat posed by the Wagner Group.

A report from an influential committee of MPs said ministers have been “remarkably complacent” in when dealing with mercenary group’s expansion in Africa and elsewhere over the last decade.

The House of Commons' Foreign Affairs Committee is calling for the urgent proscription of Wagner as a terrorist organisation, which western governments have so far shied away from.

Chair Alicia Kearns accused the UK government of lacking “a coherent strategy” while “efforts to meaningfully tackle Wagner have been non-existent”.

“This has allowed the network to grow, spread its tentacles deep into Africa and exploit countries on their knees due to conflict or instability,” said the Conservative MP.

“We are deeply concerned by the government’s dismal lack of understanding of Wagner’s hold beyond Europe, in particular their grip on African states.”

The Wagner Group recently grabbed the world’s attention when leader Yevgeny Prigozhin led a failed uprising against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

His forces advanced hundreds of kilometres to Moscow before dramatically turning around after a deal was struck that allowed Mr Prigozhin to go into exile in Belarus, with charges against him dropped.

While the group's deployment in the Ukraine war, bolstered by pardoned prisoners, including murderers, elevated its profile, it has been active outside Europe for about 10 years.

Yevgeny Prigozhin led an uprising against Vladimir Putin. AP

It has acted as a proxy for the Russian government and been involved in business activities such as gold and diamond mining, earning a reputation for brutality.

The Foreign Affairs Committee report outlined the activities of Wagner in the Middle East, including Libya and Syria, as well as African countries such as the Central African Republic, Mozambique and Mali, and Ukraine.

But while Wagner’s activities and human rights abuses have been well documented, the UK has underestimated and underplayed them, the report says.

“Where the West moves out, Wagner moves in, seeing opportunity in suffering and profit in chaos,” Ms Kearns said.

The UK “must provide an alternative for countries that are struggling; those who feel abandoned by the developed world and see Wagner as a provider of security”, she said.

As part of its inquiry, the committee heard from a former Wagner fighter who revealed that in 2017, Mr Prigozhin “purchased a small batch of weapons and ammunition from Hezbollah” while deploying forces to Syria after the Russian military refused to provide them.

The UK recently sanctioned 13 “despicable” men and businesses linked to Wagner, which it accuses of being involved in the execution and torture of civilians in African nations.

The committee says the UK government needs to “move faster and harder in sanctioning Wagner-linked actors and consider action against civilian enablers and corporate front men”.

“If we are to undermine the operations of Wagner, we need to sever the network’s wealth at its source,” said Ms Kearns.

“We are unconvinced that the government’s ‘sanction’ of the group truly captures the complex web of entities beneath it.

“In the wake of the attempted coup last month, the future manifestations of Wagner are uncertain. With the network at its most vulnerable – and the clock ticking – the time for action is now.”