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The Story

How Russia’s Wagner group took over the Central African Republic

The Story

The Times

Politics, Uk News, News, Long-form Audio, Global News, In-depth Journalism, Daily News, Exclusive Interviews, Audio Storytelling, News Analysis, Current Affairs, Investigative Reporting, Daily News Podcast

3.91.6K Ratings

🗓️ 30 May 2023

⏱️ 33 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Russia’s Wagner group – already dominant in the conflict in Ukraine – has become the de facto boss in the diamond-rich Central African Republic, where the mercenary force influences not just politics but the economy and culture. So how did this happen? And which country might be next in Wagner's sights?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. 

Guest: Anthony Loyd, senior foreign correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Clips: France 24, Al Jazerra, CNN, TRT World, BBC, WION, Tourist © 2021 3xMedia and Vesta, Director: Andrey Batov.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.


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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

As Helen opened her Amazon parcel,

0:03.0

her stomach filled with butterflies, rapid air technology and a grill mode feature,

0:08.0

this air-fryer tickled Helen's taste buds for a price lower than she'd ever imagined.

0:13.0

Five stars from Helen.

0:15.0

Find star-rated products at star prices.

0:18.0

Start your search on Amazon today.

0:21.0

It's a hot, sultry evening and in a huge packed stadium in the capital city,

0:33.0

excitement is building.

0:35.0

A red carpet has been laid out and more than 10,000 people have squeezed into sold out concrete seats

0:44.0

for the premiere of a new film.

0:48.0

It's got explosions, soaring shots of the African jungle and nail-biting action scenes.

1:05.0

But this isn't the latest Hollywood blockbuster.

1:08.0

The crowd in the stadium in Bangi, the capital of the Central African Republic,

1:14.0

is watching a film called Tourist.

1:20.0

And it's incredibly slick, very well made, Russian propaganda.

1:29.0

It's a film about Wagner mercenaries and it shows them bravely fighting off the rebels

1:35.0

and propping up the government in the Central African Republic.

1:39.0

The film is all part of their creeping takeover of the country.

1:49.0

The Russian takeover in the Central African Republic is so extensive across every institution,

1:54.0

political, military, cultural, media that as if the country has become sort of a zombie state,

2:01.0

unable to operate on its own initiative without consulting first Wagner's mercenary chiefs.

2:08.0

So what's going on?

...

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