There is a new memorial in Bangui: four soldiers in riot gear, behind them a woman with two children.

As photos of the unveiling by Central African Republic (CAR) President Faustin Archange Touadéra circulated on social media, international experts noticed something: the soldier figures in the new sculpture closely resemble three identical bronze fighters honoring “Russian volunteers”.

They are in Palmyra in Syria, in Luhansk in eastern Ukraine and in a small town in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar.

Mercenaries of the Russian "Wagner" group fought at the first and second scene, they are being trained near the third one.

In addition to ZAR, "Wagner" is now active in a number of African countries, in the force field of violence, money and geopolitics.

Claudia Bröll

Freelance Africa correspondent based in Cape Town.

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Frederick Smith

Political correspondent for Russia and the CIS in Moscow.

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The “Wagner Group” does not officially exist.

Private military companies are banned in Russia.

There are just a multitude of actors, many with backgrounds in Russian intelligence and security forces.

"Wagner" is said to be the nickname of their commander, who served in the GRU military intelligence service and is said to be attached to the composer Richard Wagner and the "Third Reich".

The mercenaries are attributed to the Saint Petersburg businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin.

"Putin's cook" is to be used when the Kremlin receives guests, as well as cooking for the Russian armed forces, schools and kindergartens.

Big deal.

Propaganda media and a St. Petersburg Internet "troll factory" are also assigned to Prigozhin.

He denies the connections, including those to companies involved in the countries' raw materials business,

in which "Wagner" mercenaries fight.

At the same time, however, Prigozhin flirts with his image as Putin's man for the rough.

From the Kremlin's point of view, the fact that the EU and the United States have imposed sanctions on Prigozhin, other Russians and companies that they associate with "Wagner" seems like an honor.

Military aid against raw materials

First, from 2014, “Wagner” mercenaries fought in Ukraine against the government in Kiev.

Officially, the Russian state has nothing to do with them.

If an operation goes well, a "Wagner" mercenary can not only receive the order of the troop, a cross with swords, but also official awards.

If something goes wrong, that's not a problem for the Kremlin either.

When questioned two years ago about "Wagner" mercenaries sighted in Libya, Putin said that if there were Russian citizens there, "they do not represent the interests of the Russian state and receive no money from the Russian state".

But many connections are attested.

A tablet that a Russian mercenary is said to have left behind was leaked to the BBC in Libya.

Among other things, a "shopping list" of weapons was stored on it,

Also in the extremely poor ZAR, government representatives continue to deny the use of the mercenaries.

However, residents of Bangui say that "Wagner" people have acted as bodyguards for the president for years.

They train soldiers, can be seen on flatbed trucks and in taverns.

According to the American broadcaster CNN, a company associated with Prigozhin received concessions for gold and diamond mines in the country.

The pattern of "military aid against raw materials" became well known in Syria: "Wagner" people fight, train, advise - and found companies that exploit oil, gas, gold, diamond, platinum or uranium deposits.