Prigozhin, as leader of the notorious Wagner Group, had been the point man for Russia in Africa since Wagner first began operations on the continent in 2017. I research the role of governance in advancing security and development as well as the influence of external actors in Africa, including Russia. The Russian government would also need to recreate the multidimensional dealings that made Wagner’s operations effective in shoring up client regimes. The way that Prigozhin was eliminated must also give African leaders pause. And that’s not a vision many African leaders share.
