The Associated Press published on 22 April 2022 an article titled "Russian Mercenaries Are Putin's 'Coercive Tool' in Africa" by Carley Petesch and Gerald Imray.
Countries like Mali, Central African Republic, and Sudan pay for mercenaries from Russia's Wagner Group by giving Moscow access to their oil, gas, gold, and diamonds. The mercenaries are often used to prop up the African government.
