A bronze monument commemorating Yevgeny Prigozhin, the late leader of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, and his deputy Dmitry Utkin, has been unveiled in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR).
The statues depict Prigozhin in bulletproof gear holding a walkie-talkie, while Utkin is shown with an AK-47 rifle. Both men died in a plane crash northwest of Moscow on August 23, 2023, just two months after their failed mutiny in Russia.
Wagner fighters have been active in CAR since 2018, when President Faustin-Archange Touadéra enlisted their help to combat rebel forces. The group has since become entrenched in the country, securing contracts to operate lucrative gold and diamond mines. Wagner also has a presence in several other African nations, but CAR remains its most significant stronghold.
The CAR national police described the monument as a symbol of the “bilateral relationship” between CAR and Russia. The unveiling ceremony was attended by Defence Minister Rameau Claude Bireau and senior military officials.
Flowers have been laid at the statue, which joins an earlier monument in Bangui depicting Russian troops shielding a woman and her children. President Touadéra has consistently defended Wagner’s presence, citing their role in regaining control of rebel-held territories. “Thanks to this cooperation, 80% of the territory previously occupied by armed groups has been reclaimed,” he said in a BBC interview last December.
Critics, however, argue that Wagner’s influence comes at a cost, accusing the group of exploiting CAR’s rich natural resources, including diamonds, gold, and uranium, in exchange for military support.
Despite Prigozhin’s death and Wagner’s rebranding to Corps Africa, the group continues to operate under its original name in CAR. The country, one of the poorest in the world despite its vast resource wealth, has faced decades of instability since gaining independence from France in 1960. Violence has diminished in recent years but sporadic clashes between rebels and the Wagner-backed national army persist.
