The Russian "Wagner PMC" began recruiting mercenaries for the war in Ukraine in the prisons of the Central African Republic.
The Daily Beast writes about this with reference to two high-ranking officers of the CAR.
According to them, prisoners are being recruited to participate in military operations not only in Ukraine but also in other regions. "Wagnerites" recruited dozens of rebels who were detained, in particular, for killing and raping women and children. Many of the new recruits are convicted terrorists who controlled much of the CARʼs territory for nearly 10 years during the civil war, officers said. Some of them are involved in war crimes.
Officers claim that the "Wagnerians" began recruiting back in October the countryʼs authorities gave the Russians the green light. Mercenaries are trained abroad. They are being prepared for battles in Mali and Ukraine. One of the officers said that they released at least 20 particularly dangerous terrorists at the request of the Russians.
- The CAR authorities have been receiving support from Russia since 2017. Local forces receive weapons and undergo training under the direction of the Russians. Wagner PMC itself also operates in the CAR.
- The ranks of "PMC Wagner" are also recruited in Russian prisons. According to mass media, 23,000 prisoners have already disappeared from Russian prisons in two months. There is evidence that the owner of PMC Yevgenii Prigozhin is personally engaged in recruitment.