Russia has deployed its Africa Corps paramilitary contractors to Equatorial Guinea.
Following negotiations in Malabo on June 7, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov secured an agreement with Equatorial Guinean officials for a limited force deployment. Present at the meeting were key Russian military figures, including Admiral Igor Kostyukov, Chief of the General Staff’s Main Directorate.
The Africa Corps, a Russian unit comprised of mercenaries and select volunteers, has now stationed personnel at EMIGO, the Inter-Arms Military School in Ekuku, Bata, Equatorial Guinea. The group is said to operate under direct oversight from the Russian Armed Forces, continuing Russia’s efforts to expand influence across African nations facing political instability.
An analyst Ivan Lopez commented, “Since the end of August, through SAR images, we began to notice large peaks of activity, coinciding with the arrival of Africa Corps in the country.”
The move comes as Russia strengthens its footprint across several politically unstable African countries, including the Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, and Sudan. The Africa Corps deployment may also signal Russian interest in Burkina Faso, currently governed by a military junta following a coup in January 2022.
🇬🇶🇷🇺| More images from Africa Corps deployed in Equatorial Guinea. pic.twitter.com/TQbqfZmrHu
— Iván López (@FpAnalisis) October 25, 2024
The Africa Corps, replacing the Wagner Group across many African regions, has taken on an expanded role following the deaths of Wagner’s founders, Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, in a plane crash in August 2023. The event came just two months after Prigozhin led a brief mutiny against Russian authorities.