AFRICA-RUSSIA MERCENARIES - WEB
Metadata
- AFRICA-RUSSIA MERCENARIES - WEB
- March 17, 2022
- Content Type Package
- Language English
- Transcript/Script ((PLAYBOOK SLUG: AFRICA-RUSSIA MERCENARIES (TV) HEADLINE: Experts Warn Russian Mercenaries in Africa May Be Headed to Ukraine TEASER: Observers concerned over Putin’s search for added foreign military manpower in his invasion of Ukraine PUBLISHED AT: Thursday, 03/17/2022 at BYLINE: Salem Solomon CONTRIBUTOR: Carla Babb, Anand Mistry DATELINE: WASHINGTON VIDEO EDITOR: Salem Solomon PRODUCER: SCRIPT EDITORS: DLJ, BR, DJ Balance Approved VIDEO SOURCE (S): AFP, Microsoft Teams, Skype, VOA Graphics PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB__ TV X RADIO __ TRT: VID APPROVED BY: TYPE: TVPKG EDITOR NOTES: For final review and questions, email Salem Solomon at: salemsolomon@voanews.com There is an accompanying web article and a published radio piece.)) ((INTRO)) [[Russia has deployed mercenaries to African countries for years. New reports indicate some of those battle-hardened soldiers may be heading to Ukraine to take part in Russia’s invasion of its neighbor. In this report, VOA’s Salem Solomon looks at what the inclusion of mercenaries into Ukraine might mean.]] [[AFP - Video - FP-TV_20220121_POL_RUS_DrillsArmy_9WR9BN_en - Russian defense army drills]] ((NARRATOR)) As Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, some observers are warning its forces may get support from an unexpected source: Russian-linked mercenaries stationed in Africa. ((Mandatory cg: The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace/Courtesy/YouTube)) [[Video – no nat sound because it was taken from an already produced explainer: https://youtu.be/gZ2Bq4X-fqU and given with permission and request for attribution.]] For years, the Wagner Group, a private military organization with close ties to the Kremlin, has been operating in various African countries including, Libya, Mozambique, Sudan and the Central African Republic. Now, as Russian President Vladimir Putin looks for added manpower for his invasion, experts say, he may be calling some of these fighters to work closer to home. ((Philip Obaji, Journalist)) ((Mandatory cg: Skype)) “My understanding right now is that taking mercenaries from the Central African Republic to Ukraine, it’s a way of saying well, ‘You have the experience on the battlefield, you’ve been trained so well, you know, you’ve spent a lot of time in Africa, and you’ll be useful going to Ukraine.’” [[ VIDEO - VOA Graphics - no nat sound]] ((NARRATOR)) Obaji’s reporting indicates approximately 500 mercenaries have left the Central African Republic to take part in the Ukraine invasion. Britain’s Daily Mail reported that some of these fighters are part of a hit squad to assassinate Ukrainian officials, including the president. That reporting could not be confirmed. And CNN reports Russia plans to deploy 1,000 mercenaries to Ukraine, citing an unnamed U.S. official. The official told CNN Russian mercenaries that are already in Ukraine have “performed poorly” and as many as 200 have been killed in the fighting. Despite this, Obaji says these fighters from Africa could still be valuable because of their experience. [[ VIDEO - VOA Graphics ends - no nat sound]] ((Philip Obaji, Journalist)) ((Mandatory cg: Skype)) “These people have been very active. And mind you, a lot of those who came from the Central African Republic in the first place, were brought in from Libya, were brought in from Syria, people who have been involved in fighting, in a war so to speak.” [[AFP - Video - -TV_20180801_CLJ_CAF_CrimeJournalists_VID1219124_EN_en, U.N. discussion about opening investigation into violation of human rights following the killing of three journalists in the Central African Republic]] ((NARRATOR)) Wagner’s track record in Africa includes accusations of extrajudicial killings, rapes and other human rights abuses. ((Mandatory cg: The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace/Courtesy/YouTube))[[Video – no nat sound because it was taken from an already produced explainer: https://youtu.be/gZ2Bq4X-fqU and given with permission and request for attribution. ]] While not a natural fit for the conventional war in Ukraine, they may be tasked to do things that Russia does not want linked to their regular forces — say some experts. ((Possible cut part in red to shorten sot if intonation works, br)) ((Jack Margolin, C4ADS Program Director)) ((Microsoft Teams—no courtesy needed)) “The Wagner group is a great solution for foreign intervention on the cheap. What Russia is doing in Ukraine right now is not that. It is not intervention on the cheap. So, in some ways they have less utility than they would in African countries. However, those Wagner Group soldiers that have had experience fighting with proxy forces, local partners, that is the exact type of thing that we’d expect them to be asked to do in Ukraine, [[essentially work to reinforce local pro-Russian forces, work alongside them, in some ways enhance their capabilities,]] and also provide an additional degree of command and control but not necessarily accountability.” [[AFP - Video - TV_20201221_POL_CAF_RussiaRwanda_8XJ83G_en.mp4, Russian armaments in the streets of the Central African Republic as Russia announces that it will send more arms]] ((NARRATOR)) Whether or not they are called to Ukraine, Wagner forces continue to pose a threat to African countries. ((General Stephen Townsend, U.S. Africa Command)) ((Mandatory cg: Skype)) “We have watched Wagner, this mercenary outfit, work on the African continent. We’ve watched them in the Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya. They don't follow anybody’s rules but their own. They will exploit the country. They will create, they will break laws. They will do a gross violation of human rights. They will kill innocents and civilians.” [[AFP - Video - TV_20211001_POL_MLI_ArmesDefense_9NX2G2_fr, Video of Russian army delivering arms to Mali]] ((NARRATOR)) Wagner’s track record, General Townsend added, is clear: they make countries less stable upon arrival, they seek to gain an economic benefit by exploiting natural resources and they refuse to leave when asked. Despite the fog of war, analysts say they will be watching closely for any signs of mercenary activity in Ukraine. ((Salem Solomon, VOA News, Washington))
- NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
- Network VOA
- Location (dateline) Washington
- Embargo Date March 17, 2022 13:52 EDT
- Byline Salem Solomon
- Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English