Across Africa, Private Military Contractors (PMCs) have become the new power brokers, selling security, buying influence, and quietly rewriting the rules of sovereignty.
From the gold mines of Sudan to the oil fields of Libya, groups like Wagner, now rebranded as Africa Corp, have traded protection for profit, leaving instability and exploitation in their wake.
What began as a promise of safety has instead fuelled violence, corruption, and foreign control.
As violence surges and resources are stripped away, a clear choice emerges for some African nations: continue down a path of increasing dependence on foreign mercenaries or reclaim control by enforcing accountability and protecting their people from exploitation disguised as security.
The ongoing presence of PMCs across the African continent presents a clear threat to our sovereignty and security.
According to reports by the BBC, Russia,through its various PMCs, such as Wagner/Africa Corps, has extracted over $2.5bn (£2bn) worth of gold from Africa in the past two years.
The simple question for governments and the people of Africa is whether the costs of PMCs are outweighing the perceived benefits.
Active
According to a recent report by the RAND organisation, an international defence think tank, PMCs were active in 33 African countries between the period 2018 to 2021.
Since that time, they have consolidated and focused their role to play an often, undisclosed role in the internal politics of many nations.
Often, these groups are welcomed as the providers or guarantors of security and stability.
Their message to governments and people is often simple and transactional.
They provide security in return for a financial upside — either directly from government, or through access to valuable natural resources.
But the truth of this is far more complex and insidious.
The most prominent of these groups is the Wagner group, partially rebranded as Africa Corps, it has firmly installed itself across the continent.
For instance, In Libya, the Africa Defence Forum reports additional personnel arriving over the last year.
These could be used to support Africa Corps’ operations in Libya and to use it as a staging ground to reinforce other military operations in West Africa.
The question is, what is the price of this supposed security to the governments and population?
According to various reports, including from the British Parliament, RAND Group, and others, Wagner has extracted a heavy price for their involvement in African nations.
In Sudan, they have sought access and concessions over key gold mines. In Libya, they have sought preferential access to oil.
Across the Central African Republic (CAR), they have sought and received preferential access to natural resources in exchange for presidential protection.
The second question, what are the benefits for ordinary people of the presence of PMCs?
On the face of it, these groups, particularly the Wagner group, present themselves as guarantors of security and stability across the region.
However, their effectiveness in delivering stability is questionable.
Across the region, PMCs seem more likely to contribute to instability than deliver it.
Attacks increase
Since Russian-led groups replaced the UN mission and domestic security forces across West Africa, attacks by terrorist groups have increased significantly, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED). In May 2025, attacks across the Sahel claimed the lives of nearly 1,000 people.
More importantly, the impact on ordinary Africans comes not just from terrorist groups but these PMCs themselves.
Human rights abuses and civilian deaths have almost become part of the accepted norm when it comes to the activities of these groups.
Moreover, even if we set aside the two points above, the very commitment of these groups to providing this security is questionable.
In June, Wagner announced that it was withdrawing from Mali, having achieved its main objective.
Only two months after arriving in Burkina Faso, a Russian PMC, the Bear Brigade, announced that it was partially withdrawing to send troops to fight Russia’s war in Ukraine.
It's clear now that African nations must take a more critical approach to the activity groups.
Clear lines of authority and accountability must be in place, and groups such as Wagner are not prevented from simply plundering resources.
Until this is done, these groups will become increasingly prevalent, with the impact increasingly dangerous for the governments and people of Africa.
The writer is with Security in Africa, a think tank
