P2 - The Wagner Group in Sudan
Description
Part 2: “It’s the worst kept secret in Sudan”.
In 2019, the Dossier Centre in London, shared some leaked internal documents from the private military company, the Wagner Group. The documents showed that Wagner had identified several countries they wanted to target for future operations. What was clear is that they often targeted countries with weakened autocratic government, seeking support against an internal threat.
In this episode, we navigate the illicit gold trade in Sudan and beyond by studying a complex corporate web. How these structures are used to bypass sanctions and whether the US designation of the Wagner Group as a "Transnational Criminal Organization" adds anything to the fight.
Speaker(s):
Julia Stanyard, senior analyst at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime and author of the paper ‘The Grey Zone: Russia’s military, mercenary and criminal engagement in Africa’.
Thierry Vircoulon, Research associate at the French Institute for International Affairs in Paris, member of the GI Network of Experts and a lead author of ‘The Grey Zone: Russia’s military, mercenary and criminal engagement in Africa’.
Kholood Khair - the Founder and Director of Confluence Advisory, Khartoum.
Ken Opala, the Field Network Coordinator for East and Southern Africa, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime.
Mohanad Hashim, freelance Sudanese journalist, currently working at the BBC.
Jason Blazakis, Professor and Director of the Center on Terrorism, Extremism and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.
Justin Lynch, researcher, and author of Sudan’s Unfinished Democracy.
Additional Reading:
(GI Paper)The grey zone: Russia's military, mercenary and criminal engagement in Africa
(GI Paper) Going for Gold: Russia, sanctions and illicit gold trade
'If you desert, we'll execute you': 'Putin's chef' recruits convicts for war Yevgeny Prigozhin: UK reviews rules after Wagner head sued journalist
UK exposes sick Russian troll factory plaguing social media with Kremlin propaganda
Wagner chief admits to founding Russian troll farm sanctioned for meddling in US elections
Ukraine capital Kyiv endures Russian onslaught - BBC News
Russia is plundering gold in Sudan to boost Putin’s war effort in Ukraine
Sudan TV broadcast taken off air after loud bangs during military clashes
Sudan fighting: RSF and army clash in Khartoum for third day
Sudan's military removes President Omar al-Bashir | Al Jazeera English
Dmitry Medvedev’s meeting with President of the Republic of the Sudan Omar Al-Bashir
Yevgeny Prigozhin: the hotdog seller who rose to the top of Putin’s war machine
The Chef’s Global Footprints, OCCRP
Sudan defence minister dies of heart attack at Juba peace talks
Hemedti: the feared commander pulling the strings in Sudan
OpenSanctions - Autolex Transport LTD.
Hemetti, senior Russian official agree to strengthen military cooperation
Sudan: Darfur: “Too many people killed for no reason”
“Men With No Mercy”: Rapid Support Forces Attacks against Civilians in Darfur, Sudan
The Organized Crime Index - Sudan
“They Were Shouting ‘Kill Them’”: Sudan’s Violent Crackdown on Protesters in Khartoum
RSF declare firm commitment to the formation of single army in Sudan
Factbox: Who are Sudan's Rapid Support Forces?
Sudan's army declares paramilitary RSF 'rebel' group
SUDAN: Hemeti says troops were forced into a confrontation with the Sudanese army
Sudanese army warns against military escalation after RSF deployment in Merowe
CNN - How Russia could be stealing over $13 billion of gold a year from Sudan
Exchange of gunfire heard in northern Sudanese city of Merowe - witnesses
Al Jazeera - Breaking News: Heavy gunfire heard in Sudan’s capital Khartoum
Global Witness - Exposing the RSF's secret financial network
Sudan crisis: The ruthless mercenaries who run the country for gold
Facebook Watch - حميدتي الجزء الخامس
Radio Dabanga - Secret financial network of Sudan’s main militia exposed
The Rapid Support Forces: A Comprehensive Profile
Reuters - Exclusive: Sudan militia leader grew rich by selling gold
United States
