«Features of the Activities of Wagner Military Company in Africa»
Students Name: Markhaichuk Nataliia Oleksandrivna
Qualification Level: magister
Speciality: International Relations
Institute: Institute of the Humanities and Social Sciences
Mode of Study: full
Academic Year: 2023-2024 н.р.
Language of Defence: англійська
Abstract: The relevance of the study is due to the fact that the activities of «Wagner» in the African region have caused great interest and concern among politicians, researchers and analysts for several reasons. First, the presence of «Wagner» in Africa raises the question of the expansion of Russia’s influence on the continent. Second, the activities of the military company "Wagner" in Africa have consequences for regional stability and security, because their presence usually incites violence and exacerbates conflicts in countries. Therefore, understanding Wagner’s operations in Africa is critical to assessing the role of private military companies in modern warfare and security operations. From this follows the relevance of conducting a study of the peculiarities of the activities of the military company «Wagner» on the African continent. Because of the consequences of their actions for the security of the region, the influence of the Russian Federation on the continent and the evolution of the specifics of conducting hostilities with the participation of private military companies. Study object - is the military company «Wagner» as a subject of international relations. Scope of research is the peculiarities and consequences of the activities of the military company «Wagner» in Africa at the current stage. Goal of the master’sthesis is to analyze the activities of the military company «Wagner» on the African continent. The essence and concept of the phenomenon of private military companies were investigated in the master’s thesis [2]. The characteristic features of the use of private military companies, which testify to the emergence of new tools for conducting military conflicts to achieve their own ambitions on the international arena, are analyzed. The work states that «Wagner» is one of the private military companies that was founded to expand the influence of the Russian Federation, but this company does not officially exist [4]. It was found that the activities of PMC «Wagner» on the African continent took place in order to support the authorities in the fight against insurgents and political threats [3]. It is described in detail that for the Russian Federation, this long-term activity of «Wagner» in African countries provides strategic influence in the region and access to the countries’ natural resources and minerals [1].It is noted that the future of PMC «Wagner» affects the state of African countries [5]. It was analyzed that the Russo-Ukrainian war and Y. Prigozhin’s rebellion led to changes in the relations of African countries with Russia [6]. The work examines the scenarios of the development of the prospects of the PMC «Wagner», as well as its future activities in African countries. In addition, it is analyzed that the involvement of private military contractors linked to the conflict in various African countries has raised the issue of proxy war and its impact on local stability. Key words: private military company, «Wagner», Africa, activity, Russia, relations, mercenaries. Referenes 1. Faulkner, C. (2022). Undermining Democracy and Exploiting Clients: The Wagner Group’s Nefarious Activities in Africa. CTC Sentinel, 15 (6), 29-33. 2. Kinsey, C. (2007). Corporate Soldiers and International Security: The Rise of Private Military Companies. New York: Routledge.3. Marten, K. (2019). Russia’s use of semi-state security forces: the case of the Wagner Group. Taylor & Francis Journals, 35 (3), 181–204. 4. McFate, S., Martin, M. (13 March, 2022). An expert explains why Putin seems to be using an outdated military manual. Weekend All Things Considered. Available from: https://www.npr.org/2022/03/13/1086365524/an-expert- explains-why-putin-seems-to-be-using-an-outdated-military-manual