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I was trying to find a current story about mercenaries "winning" in Africa. No luck. Wagner in CAR is an interesting example of how dynamics have changed but Wagner is there to flow into the areas others abandon. https://sofrep.com/news/wagner-group-russian-mercenaries-still-foundering-in-africa/
A top level member of Wagner had some interesting 2018 Erik Prince stories. He was trying to sell them IL-76's cheaper than they could buy them in Russia. Thrushes too. Never actually closed the deal. But damn towhead seems to work all sides of the street.
Russia like China and the UAE all have big plans for Africa. the UAE is currently rebooting their aborted Trump African Asshole Plan with Western aka Biden friendly dictators, China be china'ing and the U.S. has no idea how to evict Wagner from current/ new bases. Oh look Turkey.
The US solution is $60 billion in DFC money combined with USAID and then clumsily using them as fronts for influence. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/the-us-government-makes-its-big-push-for-investment-in-africa/
China might be trimming their investment partly because the global economy sucks. But they still buy half of the world's raw materials. https://www.theafricareport.com/51202/china-may-scale-back-investment-in-africa-says-new-report/
Africa is not a single entity. But the UAE is looking to carve up existing structures and frack places like Somalia, Libya, Eritrea, Mozambique and other structures. This is causing more wars and more opportunity as pieces get smaller and poorer. Opening the door to Wagner.
Wagner and other mercenaries will be used to break off and hold smaller pieces of Africa, ideally protecting resources for foreign customers and inept dictators while maximizing profit allowing rulers and businessmen to tell locals to fuck off and starve. Leopold would be proud.
East India Company. Mercenary pillagers using force. This is what numbnuts was jabbering about in his various op eds. Thanks to Donald and the Dictators he got some traction over the last four years but now it is clean up on aisle 45 time. https://www.salon.com/2017/08/08/blackwater-founder-erik-prince-cites-east-india-company-as-a-model-to-privatize-afghanistan-war/
"The capture of East India Company brig Nautilus took place on June 30 1815. the US commander of the USS Peacock was unaware that the war had ended six months earlier. Once Nautilus's commander provided proof that the war had ended, the Americans released the brig and its crew. "
The lesson is simple. Most foreign nations respect and admire Americans. America is an aspirational end state for many nations who see liberty and justice for all as a goal. This narrative is constantly challenged by moral aberrations that consume media coverage. Let's fix that
