From Tatarstan to Niger. Moscow creates a new Islamist legion in Africa

Russia recruits Muslim Tatars for its formation of mercenaries – the former Wagner group, currently renamed the African corps. The Kremlin believes that Tatars, due to his religion, will be easier to cooperate with Muslim army in Sahel countries.

Muslim mercenaries, which were reconciled by Russia, would be sent to the Central African Republic, where Moscow's influence is the strongest, but also to Burkin Faso, Mali and Niger. In all these countries, Muslims constitute an overwhelming majority; There are over 90 percent in Mali, even more, because almost 100 percent. in Niger, the least, though over 60 percent in Burkina Faso.

That is why, according to Idealreal Moscow, he tries to recruit men from Tatarstan and other Muslim republics to their African corps, because their religious and cultural origin will help them work in Muslim countries of North West Africa.

For signing the contract, the Russian Defense Ministry pays a single amount of 400,000. rubles (almost $ 5,000), and the Tatarstan authorities pay another 2.1 million rubles (about $ 26,000). Later, 240,000 are promised for each month in Africa. rubles (about $ 3,000). In addition, a one -time payment of 20,000 is foreseen. rubles ($ 245) for every minor child and the ability to receive a preferential mortgage – idealreal found out.

In March, Tatar-Inform, a leading portal from Tatarstan, published an extensive article about the African corps, which describes the conditions that the candidate for a mercenary should meet. He must be physically functional, not punished and in the case of a serial soldier to be 18 to 45 years old, and 55 years old if he would like to serve in Africa as an officer.

Russia is recruiting to its African troops not only in Tatarstan, he is also looking for those willing in Moscow and the Moscow region, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Krasnodar and Novorossian. In Moscow and the Moscow region, those who sign the contract promise to pay with 1.9 million rubles (over $ 23,000). In St. Petersburg, a salary for contract soldiers is the same as in Tatarstan.

In Africa, Russian mercenaries are present primarily in the countries where military junts rule; In addition to Burkin Faso, Mali, Niger and the Central African Republic, they are also in the equatorial Guinea, ruled by an 82-year-old authoritarian President Teodor Obianda, in the eastern part of Libya, controlled by Marshal Chalifa Haftar and Sudana and

The current presence in Africa of mercenaries from the Wagner group and its successor has strengthened the undemocratic African regimes, while expanding Russian influence beyond the Sahel countries. However, these mercenaries did not do much to improve security in the region, which is struggling with fighters from Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

Tadeusz Brzozowski (PAP)

tebe/ fit/