Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Wagner, was recently spotted in St. Petersburg during the Africa-Russia summit.
A photograph captured him shaking hands with Ambassador Freddy Mapouka, a high-ranking official from the Central African Republic (CAR). The image was shared on Facebook by Dmitri Syty, who is believed to manage Wagner’s operations in CAR.
This sighting marks the first confirmed appearance of Mr. Prigozhin in Russia since Wagner’s unsuccessful mutiny in June. The meeting between Prigozhin and Mapouka occurred at the Trezzini Palace hotel in St. Petersburg, which was verified by BBC using facial recognition software and matching details from the background of the photo. The hotel is reportedly owned by Prigozhin.
Mr. Mapouka’s lanyard in the photo perfectly matches the official lanyards worn by delegates at the summit, further supporting the authenticity of the image. Notably, this photograph has only recently surfaced online, as no earlier copies were found during searches.
Wagner, a mercenary group, has a presence of several hundred fighters in the diamond-rich CAR, assisting the government in its fight against rebel groups. Recently, the UK imposed sanctions on two heads of Wagner’s operations in CAR, accusing them of committing atrocities against civilians.
Additionally, Mr. Prigozhin made an appearance in Belarus last week, where he was seen welcoming fighters and discussing developments on the frontline in Ukraine. He hinted that Wagner might rejoin the war at a later date.
During the Africa-Russia Summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed readiness to replace Ukrainian grain exports to Africa both commercially and as aid to prevent a potential “global food crisis.”
“We will be ready to provide Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic and Eritrea with 25-50,000 tonnes of free grain each in the next three to four months,” Putin said. These are all Russian allies, except Somalia which is suffering a severe humanitarian crisis.
Russia recently withdrew from a deal under which Ukrainian grain exports passed through the Black Sea to reach global markets, including Africa.
The EU said it believes Mr Putin is misleading African countries over his promise to send free grain to the continent. The European Commission said Russia was unlikely to honour its pledge.