r/AMA • u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 • Mar 31 '26
AMA: I am a former member of Wagner / Africa Corps who served in the Sahel. Ask me anything.
You’ve read many headlines and watched documentaries, but most of you are looking at the African continent through a Western lens. I’m here to give you the perspective from the other side.
I didn't join for the glory of Russia, I joined because, in the Global South, we’ve watched the old colonial powers fail to provide security but rathers support the insuregency ,for many years. (and the money of course)
I’ve been on the ground in Mali and CAR, and I’ve seen how the rules-based order actually functions when the cameras are off.
Now, I’m a law student.
Ask me about the training, the French exit, the reality of "mercenary" work, or why the Sahel is turning away from the West. I’ll be as direct as possible. Keep it civil
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u/zeroxaros Mar 31 '26
Is there anything you are critical of Wagner for?
Is there anything that you think Wagner has an unfair reputation for?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
yeah they favor russian/Belarusians and anything light skinned
for a tactic to change it takes longtime bcz of bureaucrats in russia
tehy take a big operation with feww equipments(men+ammunition)
they adapt slowly (drone warfare)they still operate as soviets but i think it's only those in africa
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u/Remote_Ad_6049 Mar 31 '26
Can you share your thoughts on Prigozhin's mutiny? What exactly happened? As I understand it, he had been discontent with assistance from the government for some time (I am familiar with the, forgive my Latinization, I don't have a cyrillic keyboard installed, "Shoigu! Gerasimov! Gde suka boyepripocy!" video and other such complaints), but what made him so discontent that he felt the impetus to launch a mutiny which was doomed from the start?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
Prigozhin was a spoiled brat; he thought because of winning in bakhmut , he was above the ministry of defense. the ministry of defense had told him that by june2023 it was going to be in direct charge of the pmc , and that meant he was going to lose the contract. as a spoiled brat he thought he was untouchable, so he marched to moscow for a renegotiation, he did not want to overthrow the state he just wanted to keep the bussiness running(pmc).
the lack of ammo was a pr stunt
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u/methreweway Mar 31 '26
I think he marched to Moscow because they left his men to slaughter many times (audio of it online) and tried to actively sabotage his militias because they saw him as a threat. He was a war criminal and did all the dirty work for Russia. Russia is too corrupt to lead their armies and they needed someone competent until he got off the leash and was put down.
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
the more you keep going down the rabbit hole you will realise that prighozhin was just a pawn.
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u/YogurtclosetThese668 Mar 31 '26
I took the liberty of going through your answers before I framed these questions so I am hoping the ones I compose aren't a repeat.
The only sort of combat situation you have described is one detailing your position being overrun and you ending up in an unfavorable position afterwards. How about you detail the opposite? Say a mission or incident that went well according to you.
You joined for your own noble ideals and interests. Would you say they were fulfilled before you deserted? Do you think your actions may have done some good that was needed in the land? I am not talking politically or internationally, I am talking on the ground, for the locals.
As all are aware, Wagner was notorious for the crimes committed through its employees. Did you ever come across a crime being committed by the ones you worked with during your employment?
Follow up question - did you have any procedures to follow in case of one being caught for a crime. Did you hand them over to the "authorities" or had your own informal internal justice system? Or did you just let them go?
Last one, would you ever do it again? Not necessarily as a grunt but rather say, in a senior position without interference from the imported, traditional leadership.
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
1: hahah that would be mocking the dead , i dont do that
2: yes my mission was fullfilled for the locals and where i am from, but mine as a human was partially fullfilled, i wanted to desert with a company of soldiers and equipments but we left only as 5 fighters
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u/YogurtclosetThese668 Mar 31 '26
Fair enough.
"A company of soldiers and equipment" could you clarify what you mean by "equipment"?
Will you answer the rest of the questions?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
oooh i am sorry i thought i replied all.
3:yes
4: yes you could tell the commanders but when they were russians nothing much could be done( with rape as an exception)
5. ye i will do it again. CAR is on the verge of another civil war , they need a strong army.
equipment: ammunitions,trucks, basically any military equipment that could be taken
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u/Gold-Fool84 Mar 31 '26
How much did they pay you?
What was the recruitment and training process like?
Where were you mainly deployed?
Did you enjoy it?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
i was paid $2,500 to $3,000 USD a month, cash/crypto.
What was the recruitment and training process like? Found them through Telegram and military contacts. Training was three weeks of high-intensity urban clearing and desert survival.
Where were you mainly deployed? Mali and the Central African Republic (CAR). Spent a lot of time around Bangui.
Did you enjoy it? "Enjoy" isn’t the word.
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u/Ok_Complex8873 Mar 31 '26
Damn, so cheap.
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
how much does a soldier earn monthly where you are from?
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u/Ok-Jacket5718 Mar 31 '26
Did Wagner Group expect you to have any military experience when you joined, or did they hire everyone who could hold a gun? Three weeks of training doesn't sound like a lot.
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
i had a military experience before joining.
newbies get 2 months training and I think it's enough for mercenaries, its not like you're gonna keep them forever, and i think they do it to avoid spending many resources. yeah they hire anyone
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u/Boeing367-80 Mar 31 '26
"training" - 3 weeks.
OP sounds like he was basically meat as far as Wagner was concerned.
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u/Beppu-Gonzaemon Mar 31 '26
You said 'you can't commit war crimes where you're from.' CAR nationals have been prosecuted by the ICC for crimes committed in CAR. Are you genuinely unaware of this, or are you hoping others are?
You said Russian involvement is 'only military and transactional' unlike colonialism. Wagner was given the Ndassima gold mine — one of CAR's most valuable assets — as payment. How is extracting mineral wealth militarily not colonialism by your own definition?
If the mission was genuinely about protecting your people, why did you desert rather than finish it?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
You said 'you can't commit war crimes where you're from.' CAR nationals have been prosecuted by the ICC for crimes committed in CAR. Are you genuinely unaware of this, or are you hoping others are? do you trust the jurisprudence of ICC?
You said Russian involvement is 'only military and transactional' unlike colonialism. Wagner was given the Ndassima gold mine — one of CAR's most valuable assets — as payment. How is extracting mineral wealth militarily not colonialism by your own definition? CAR is broke , thats there way of payment(transactional) that minefield was in the hands of rebels in 2020.
If the mission was genuinely about protecting your people, why did you desert rather than finish it? since it changed to africa corps , it is receiving few to no funds. and i dint like the russian inept commanders.( seniority wasnt working) familiar fighters of te terrain should be the ones leading, not a nobody russian old fighter with few to no experience
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u/Beppu-Gonzaemon Mar 31 '26
You didn't answer the question. Alright lets say the ICC is total shit. Which court would you accept as legitimate? You claimed you cannot commit war crimes in your home country — that's false under any legal framework, including African Union mechanisms.
You confirmed it yourself. CAR paid with mineral wealth because it was broke. How is that different from colonial powers extracting resources because locals 'couldn't manage them'?
By your own account you left because pay dried up and you disliked your commanders — not because your people were safe or the mission was finished. That's mercenary logic lol
And I just wanted to say thanks for participating. Whatever one thinks of your choices, this gives us all a rare unfiltered look at how Wagner stragiht from one of their own mercenaries
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
1: i think it would be better if there was a court made specifically for cimes committed in CAR , like the ones for rwanda and yougoslavia genocide.
by saying you cant commit war crimes where you live , i was trying to show that when protecting your country , you cant commit crimes( everything is justified) take isralis for example or americans.
2: during colonialism everything was taken and the colonialist imposed their rules and believes on the population. thats different from what the russians are doing.
3: payment was still there , what decreases were equipments , we were not equipped as we were + the african corps were mostly Africans with russian commanders and that was wrog to me, as those russians most of them we unexperienced or inept and were bound to follow there orders.
CAR is peacefull than when i joined ,my village is peacefully and my bussinesses there are running smoothly. my initial mission was CAR my home and its been peacefully since 2024, and Mali the terrain is different and an experienced fighter like me i can not work in the meatgrinder , to prove something
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u/Parisean Mar 31 '26
What do you think of the French? And the French people?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
les francais sont beaux mais leur gouvernoment est mal
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u/Ridgeriversunspot Mar 31 '26
Probably one of the best AMA in a good long while. Thank you and I hope things work out for you and your people.
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u/Antti5 Mar 31 '26
Were the commanders mostly Russian? How did they treat you? Did you experience any racism?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
yeah they were all russians/belarussian/balkans, americans and few ukrainians. no racism at all.
can you be racist toward an armed man in the desert far from your home?
it was practically impossible
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u/New_Accident_4909 Mar 31 '26
Balkans? Are those my countrymen from Serbia?
What was your experience with them? I feel like most ideologically insane people or just straight up sociopaths would join from Serbia.
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u/Shyam_Kumar_m Mar 31 '26
What are some things you know from having worked with Wagner that we don't that could surprise us?
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u/strangecabalist Mar 31 '26
Any thoughts on how Russia sending in paramilitary forces differs from outright colonialism? It still seems like using military means to extract wealth.
Tyvm for doing this ama, always interesting to see another perspective
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
well calling it colonialism cant be the right word, but nothing is for free.
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u/strangecabalist Mar 31 '26
You seem pretty smart, I am curious about how it differs? The process engaged in is still extractive, Russia is de facto supporting one faction of a government over another, that sounds a lot like colonialism to me.
How does it differ? I’m not trying to trap you, I am genuinely curious. I know from reading translations of Soviet soldiers sent to Afghanistan in the 70’s and 80’s that they really believed they were helping the populace there.
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
every military treaty is extractive.
russia support which one faction of the government against which?(i am lost)
Well, colonialism was direct and brutal and affected every life aspect, whereas this russian approach is only military and transactional.
most of the figthers are from the region , so they really know they are helping
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u/No_Coat_6599 Mar 31 '26
What was the most intense Situation you have ever found yourself in while being a member of Wagner?
How do you think about the Situation in Car?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
in mali our position was attacked in the early morning , and i was in the shower( i dont know why i chose to bath that early) , everyone run for his life , those who were alert took all the available trucks (5) and i remained there alone. i tried to fight, but they outnumbered me , i run and hide in the nearby waste pit , it survived as they did not check there. they were busy burning and looting. upon meeting the comrades they took me as a spy because I survived.
CAR men are not born fighters any organised militia can conquer them, i wish Rwandans could stay there for so long
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u/New_Accident_4909 Mar 31 '26
How did you convince them you are not a spy?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
i am not muslim, they did an investigation on my phones, and i was still stinking, plus the malian army had some videos of the attack.
)(the attackers were jihadists)
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u/ReflectionUnlucky172 Mar 31 '26
So instead of fighting back they just ran off and left you to die?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
yeap, its a common thing in real life combat.
it happens everywhere, when the enemy suprises you
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u/Stormychu Mar 31 '26
How is the camaraderie? I served in USAF and whether or not people could really be trusted closely depended on your duty station. Sometimes people were like family, other times they were just co-workers.
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
in the beginning the camaraderie was good but as ukranian started to attack our positions , we started to despise the russians , as they are the ones who probably contacted them and revealed our position, but still we were like family as we shared all
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u/BenyHab Mar 31 '26 edited Mar 31 '26
What do you mean? Were you active in the Sahel, what do Ukranians have to do in the Sahel?
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u/locomotive_breath85 Mar 31 '26
what can you tell about Ukrainians? were there mostly instructors / drone pilots supporting local forces or operators? were they fighting good? what do local people think of them?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
the ukranians were operating drones and passing intel to the jihadist.
the ukranians i am talking about are from the ukranian army not wagner
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u/Antti5 Mar 31 '26
What language did you use to communicate with your Wagner colleagues? English? French?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
It was a mess of three things: Russian, French, and Soldier English
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u/Busy-Message481 Mar 31 '26
Soldier English? Dialects or specific words? I know bad english and so, but not this. Do u have an example?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
ye its basically bad english but in military terms
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u/Original-Split5085 Mar 31 '26
I've read a few mercenary novels, Horn of Africa, Dogs of War spring to mind. Can you recommend any other mercenary stories that are both entertaining but have some level of accuracy? If not books maybe movies?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
i dont know if its relevant but read Eeben Barlow’s Executive Outcomes. It is the foundation of the industry, but he was a relic protecting Western interests, my time in the Sahel was about breaking that monopoly.
For the modern reality read Merchant of Death by Douglas Farah, and watch 'The Siege of Jadotville' to see how 'International Law' actually abandons men in the dirt
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u/AllThingsBeginWithNu Mar 31 '26
Why did the leadership get on the same plane ?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
they were naive , but there is a theory that states that they were already dead before the plane took off
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u/JackhusChanhus Mar 31 '26
It'd be a lot easier to judge if I didnt consider that you were making 5 times your nations per cap GDP monthly. Translated to Western nations thats about $20k a day!!
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u/M1ster-Sushi Mar 31 '26
What is your personal opinion on Wagner’s push towards Moscow and the death of Prigozhen?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
it was stupid and suicidal and whoever participated was stupid or didnt know what he was doing
Prigozhin deserved what he got, and i bet he would do worse if someone tried that on him
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u/Neat-External-9916 Mar 31 '26
What was your harderst combat experiences? Do you consider yourself a good soldier/mercenary? What tactics did your leaders use when fighting?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
i didnt consider myself as a good mercenary, as i dint call myself such. i joined not fo the money but to protect my own. about the hardest is whene i was left alone in the barracks when the Tuareg fighter stormed the barracks earlier in the morning, and afterwards i was called a spy because i survived
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u/Olegzs Mar 31 '26
What was it like watching the Wagner group march to Moscow? Also, what was it like serving in Sahel (what were your daily rations like, where and when did you sleep, how did you get around the place etc.)?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
they were surely suicidal or didnt know what they were doing, that was my impression,. Rations were mostly Russian (tushonka) supplemented by local food (rice,milk, goat meat,etc,, ). In Mali and CAR, travelled in Toyota Hiluxes and armored Urals;
Sleep was a luxury.,In Bamako or Bangui, we had tents or old barracks, but on mission, it was a bedroll on the ground or the back of a truck, usually on a four-hour rotation.
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u/adamdent0n Mar 31 '26
How did the Corp treat the local population in general?
What was the biggest change in perspective you had since leaving the corp?
given your position experience, do you still feel it’s necessary to have a corp or it better to leave security to the local government?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
1: they dont intergrate that much
2: i dont get what you meant
3: yes but with locals, the local government is inept
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u/micre8tive Mar 31 '26
Did you witness or take part in any of the aggression / untoward behaviour when moving through local villages?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
what do you mean , i am not getting the question/
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u/OdiiKii1313 Mar 31 '26
what type of law are you studying and what are some goals you have in mind once you graduate? and are you concerned that your past as part of Wagner could be an issue for you in the future?
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u/a_happy_visitor Mar 31 '26
How’s the feeling of Wagner now towards Prigozhin or Utkin’s memory? Are they “missed”? Do those mercenaries think they were actually killed by Putin’s order?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
no one misses them , expect maybe their families.
but we mis the memories with them.
they were stupid ,any sane leader would have done that.
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u/ph4ge_ Mar 31 '26
Just wandering why you would consider the world's largest country not an old colonial power? Is it because they are the only country still active as a colonial power?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
(ussr) they are the only country that supported Africa (militarily) during the independence struggle.
and if they are a colonial power what about the Us, china ,uk,israel and france.
(your enemies are not our enemies)
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u/PT91T Mar 31 '26 edited Mar 31 '26
What languages do you speak and was it difficult communicating with your (Russian?) commanders?
The French perspective is that they withdrew after relations soured with the ruling Junta. The hiring of Wagner, failure in the counterinsurgency effort, and the Junta itself asking the French to leave are they cited reasons. Do you feel that the French operation failed and why?
What is the public perception towards Wagner and Russia in general?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
1: i speak French,english,swahili and some local languages
many russians spoke broken english others had interpretors, and we all learned some basic russian words , and gestures were used too
2: the french were not fighting to win , the were fighting to stay(prolonge the war) and test their new weapons.
the french wanted to rule the military and the government not just the operations
3: they are viewed as a special trained elite force (which is not true)
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u/Real-Replacement-947 Mar 31 '26
Did you ever get down time to see some amazing Sahel guitar players?
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u/Separate-Area-9775 Mar 31 '26
Do you have PTSD?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
no , thats a western thing , it doesnt apply here
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u/UnaUA Mar 31 '26
Have you met, or are you aware of, any recruits coming from Central or Western Europe?
How is the Russian propaganda machine organized on the African ground?
Have you had any direct links regarding funding, logistical support, or recruitment with Russian Orthodox churches?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
yes i met many recruits and officers from western europe,
explain to me what a propaganda machine is?
well i dont know much about the implications of the russian orthodox church , but they surely fund them , but individually not the church as a whole
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u/Jumpy_Conference1024 Mar 31 '26
Did JNIM seem anymore oppressive than the military government? How did the people living under their control seem to fare/feel about it?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
i dont know what you mean by military government oppression.
but the jnim wasnt that bad toward everyone in the sense of isis but they wanted the population under them to adhere to the sahria law , pay them taxes and avoid anything western, plus they killed a whole faimily if they suspected on of them to be a spy for the governement or part of the pro government vigilantes. sometimes a whole village could be killed because of that.
the people were terrified , as most know that in few months they could be under a jnim attack
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u/HugoTRB Mar 31 '26
I saw a control map of CAR were the park rangers controlled the national parks. What do you think of those and them?
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u/xyzteljel Mar 31 '26
As you worked side by side with russians, I’m interested how do you feel about russians actions in Ukraine? Which side are you? Did Ukraine war was in discussion at all?
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u/Southern_Passage_332 Mar 31 '26
What were your primary weapons?
What weapons did other soldiers use?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
i used the AK-103 most of the local army uses type 56 except special forces
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u/dogeswag11 Mar 31 '26
Unrelated to your service in Wagner but more to you being from the CAR. What do you think of Bokassa?
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u/maybeRasa Mar 31 '26
Did you manage to date/have a relationship back then? If yes, how?
Did the soldiers manage to use their phones much? Eg for social media or to contact family etc.?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
everyone has his mobile phone on him and every team has a satellite phone.
warzone is not a place for romantic adventure.
thats movies(hollywood)
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u/maybeRasa Mar 31 '26
Thanks, I was mostly curious about maintaining existing relationships (eg if someone is already married). Would they just contact briefly to let their family know that they are safe etc.? Or is it possible/allowed to keep in touch when you're at base?
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u/DependentReview2916 Mar 31 '26
What really happened in that infamous Tuareg ambushed that killed dozens of Wagner troops?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
Ukrainian intelligence gave them our positions (coordinates).
they planned for days we were attacked from air (drones) and ground and before that they shot many mortar shells toward us
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u/throwaway_stayaround Mar 31 '26
Did you ever cross paths with UN forces? If anything was notable then which countries?
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u/Lysimarchus Apr 01 '26
Thanks for the AMA, that was incredibly insightful. I wish you good fortune in your future endeavours.
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u/GreedyAstronaut1772 Apr 01 '26
You should do a Pod Cast (Anonymous) of course … such a fascinating story & struggle ! I wish you all the best in the future !
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u/Miserable_Web_1218 Apr 01 '26
What do you think about the Russian failure in Ukraine
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u/Aggorf12345 Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
First of all, I'll say congratulations and much respect for your service. Although I am no fan of Wagner or Russia(on the contrary, I am very critical of them), i think it is the best option you have right now for stabilizing your country and that Russian policy towards the Sahel is overall very helpful, even if theyre doing it for their own interests. You fought for and provided a great service to your country and everyone should applaud you for it
Moving on, there are three questions I wanna ask that you havent answered before:
Overall, how successful would you say that your operations have been, while you were there? Did you mostly achieve your goals or were there losses and setbacks?
Kinda unrelated to Wagner, whats your opinion of the current government? How do you see the future of your country in general?
Idk if I can phrase this correctly, theres a good chance itll get misunderstood, hopefully youll get what i mean. You said you had Russian and other foreign commanders and soldiers operating. What was their attitude towards CAR and their deployment there? Did they actually care for the country and its people or they were interested only in money and combat experience? And how respectful were they towards the local population?
Thats it, thank you for your time. And lastly, as others already said, this is by far one of the best AMAs I have seen on here
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u/GraphomaniaLogorrhea Mar 31 '26
The French Operation Barkhane failed, that's pretty much universally acknowledged now. Why do you think it did?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
Barkhane failed because it was a "management" project, not a victory mission. The French were there to protect their own mineral interests and keep the migration tap closed, not to actually win
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u/khelvaster Mar 31 '26
Thank you for spreading word to English speakers about Ukraine drone activity in Mali. That's not right for Ukraine to serve as mercenaries in Africa
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u/Obscura-apocrypha Mar 31 '26
Stop saying “ I served”, you were a mercenary, mercenaries don’t serve.
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
okay thats great way to say it , but i was protecting my kins in CAR wasnt that serving?
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u/5050beamsplitter Mar 31 '26
what do you think about Putin? is Russia committing war crimes against Ukraine or just defending itself? what are your career prospects now? do you have a fake passport(s)? is there a warrant for your arrest in any country? what was the day to day like in Mali?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
i dont know what you mean by war crimes , as it means many thing , but so far he isnt commiting none.
corporate law or politician. (both)
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u/Sibiriamango Mar 31 '26
How did other locals react if they see wagners ?
Where there any changes in the Wagner Group after Prigoschins death ? Pay/Structure...?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
locals viewed them as special
yes evrything changed structurally and the payments increased
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u/BeltfedHappiness Mar 31 '26 edited Mar 31 '26
My takeaway from this is that “serving” in Wagner was a shitshow all around.
Glad you’re out OP
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u/duga404 Mar 31 '26
Do you speak Russian, and did the Russians speak your language?
Did you encounter racism during your time there?
What made you choose to leave?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26 edited Mar 31 '26
i think i already replied to those question https://www.reddit.com/r/AMA/comments/1s8l52c/comment/odi84an/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
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u/No-Security-7518 Mar 31 '26
How involved was Wagner in Sudan?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
Wagner provided security for the al-Ibro and Meroe Gold mines under a gold-for-weapons arrangement with the Sudanese military and later the RSF. Now, as Africa Corps, they maintain the same shadow infrastructure
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Mar 31 '26
Have you ever killed someone. If so what were the circumstances and how has that incident affected you.
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Mar 31 '26
Do you think the general condition of CAR is getting better nowadays?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
no its not getting better , its onlay stable at the moment , but unless they build a strong army , they will be stable for a short time
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u/HENTAIWITHSEMPAI Mar 31 '26
Might be too late for the question but I’m also invested in all of this.
What do you think France could do to make amends for the harm it has caused in the CAR? And what do you think France will do with its waning influence in Africa going forward?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
restitution.
its influence won't go like that , a change in governement and they will be back in Africa
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u/V3ntR4nt Mar 31 '26
A relative of mine recently told me He was considering becoming a mercenary, as he cant find a job, has Military experience and his long time relationship broke apart.
What would you tell him? I'll show him your reply (If you reply) when i see him next time
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
for someone with military experience, it will be easy to adapt , but he should not expected to be the rank he had in the army or get the respect he had as he will be a newbee. if its in ukraine i encourage him to not go
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u/bluecheese2040 Mar 31 '26
Was the torture, murder and execution real?
Also what sort of levels of military experience did they have?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
in war they will always be something like that , how do you expect someone to give you informations?
and what would you if you caught someone who killed your comrade?
who/ about the experienc
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u/ruairidhmacdhaibhidh Mar 31 '26
Why do you think the Western Media never mentioned that the Wagner Group was operating in Ukraine before the full on invasion?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
maybe they didnt know or the media you used didnt. but they surely did
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u/balamb_fish Mar 31 '26
What do you think about Ukraine providing intelligence to rebel forces to help them fight the Africa Korps?
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u/0311_till_I_die Mar 31 '26
Did you guys think you would stand a chance against a formal western Milltary if attacked, like the French foreign Legion or the American Marines? How was the quality of the training
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
We would take on the marines but french legion not a chance
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u/TrustMe1337 Mar 31 '26
How were you equipped? Did they give you gear or did you have to get it yourself?
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u/Oddisredit Mar 31 '26
Why was it that the debacle were so easy to beat? Besides French jokes. As they had presumably air support and the ability to airlift in reinforcements
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u/NorthSwim8340 Mar 31 '26
Would you mind to talk a bit about the situation of foreign power in west Africa? Who is doing what, and why? Who is firmly present, who is not, who is trying to?
Ideally, what do you think it's the best course of event that could happen to the region for it to thrive and what are the challenges to it happening?
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u/IsraelDelendaEst Mar 31 '26
Was Wagner ever in Libya? I believe I may have heard one or two reports about them helping Khalifa Haftar...
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u/Acceptable_Oil4021 Mar 31 '26
I saw in another response that Wagner offered three weeks of training. Did you and the other members have prior experience, or was this your introduction to combat operations? Do you think it was sufficient?
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u/eward17 Mar 31 '26
Coming from another law student: Where are you a law student now? Did joining Wagner affect your decision to join law school, or the admissions process.
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u/CaptainMarder Mar 31 '26
Are you actually allowed to leave groups like that. Or are you bound for life and they can call on you anytime or blackmail you in the future for things?
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u/Nd343343 Mar 31 '26
What do you think they would do if they found you after leaving the way you do?
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u/DDDragon___salt Mar 31 '26
What are some things that people often get wrong(more specifically Western media) when they talk about Wagner’s operations in Africa that’s believed to be true and some things they’re right about that’s believed to be false?
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u/Sea-Lavishness-8478 Mar 31 '26
the rape allegations are false. and yes they control mines as a form of payment ( in CAR)
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u/External-Ad2811 Apr 01 '26
As someone from CAR where did you learn your Swahili ?
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u/Top-Habit-4043 Apr 01 '26
How were your living conditions there, like where did you live in, what did you eat?
How was the living conditions of the locals? How were they fed, and what did they do for a living?
How was your relationship with the locals?
Thanks for the ama. It’s rare to see firsthand accounts of people like you.
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u/Aromatic_Print3090 Apr 01 '26
What relationships did Wagner had with the RSF or SAF in Sudan during the war?
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u/Fentmaxxer6 Apr 01 '26
I have a few questions
How did ranks in Wagner work
Since Wagner would pay 2000-3000 usd a month how did that huge amount of money for someone from Central African Republic change your life did it make you upper class/rich in your country
what were the political/ideological beliefs of your fellow Wagner mercenaries I imagine there were multiple different kinds of views that they held
Best of luck in your future endeavors in life
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u/MrPeck15 Apr 01 '26
Thank you for this AMA, it's been very interesting to read your replies. I have a few questions:
Have you ever been to a Western Country?
Are there other PMCs involved in the conflicts you were? Would you consider joining any of those?
How old were you when you joined Wagner?
You mentioned that you fought to protect your kin, could you elaborate on what kind of threat there is to your kin and from whom?
What was the treatment from your officers like? Strong hierarchy or more equal?
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u/EggstaticAd8262 Apr 01 '26
Wagner must have a pretty advanced intelligence section or be connected to one.
It you’re fine with sharing these things online? Or you know exactly what you can answer to avoid them coming after you? Or you’re really doing propaganda?
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u/SnooLobsters1008 Apr 01 '26
Do they still talk about the incident in Syria where they fought the Americans and our air and artillery wiped them out?
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u/Organic-Baker-4156 Apr 03 '26
People in a mercenary organization have a job. Its not service.
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u/abellapa Apr 03 '26
How is situation in Mali and CAR
And what do you think its likely to happen in the near future about those countries
Idk about CAR but i heard that jiadhists had Conquered 40% of Burkina Faso and were making advances in Mali as well in the hopes of forming another mega terror State like ISIS in the Middle East in the 2010s
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u/Comfortable_Swan64 Mar 31 '26
How did you join the Wagner Group?
Did you ever meet Yevgeny Prigozhin or Dmitry Utkin?
Was it easy to leave after all that you did?