The Russian newspaper "Vedomosti" has revealed that the expected date for the activation of the "African Legion", which will replace Wagner's mercenaries, will be in the summer of 2024.
The newspaper said that the Corps will be present in five African countries, including Libya, stressing that its activities in the Sahel region remain impossible without Libya.
The newspaper quoted two sources close to the Ministry of Defense that African Corps units are planning to deploy in Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali, the Central African Republic and Niger.
The newspaper added that the African Legion will be directly affiliated with the Ministry of Defense, and that its work will be supervised by Deputy Defense Minister, Yunusbek Yevkurov.
The newspaper added that the new military structure will be composed of former Wagner mercenaries and private security groups affiliated with Russian companies operating in Africa.
The newspaper indicated that the new legion began its formation in August 2023, after the death of Wagner’s founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and that recruitment in Africa and Russia began this December.
