On August 23, 2023, at the age of 62, Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash. It is in the Tver region in Russia, just 10 minutes from Moscow, that the accident occurred according to Libération. A look back at the last days of the head of Wagner on the African continent.
The American daily The Wall Street Journal recounts Prigozhin ‘s last days. It seems that he visited several African countries to try to “save his empire”.
A video revealed by Telegram shot before his death, confirms his presence in Africa. “For those who wonder if I am alive and how I am doing: it is the second half of August 2023, and I am in Africa,” he declares on camera, aboard a moving vehicle.
His last actions
Through several reviews of Wagner’s chief’s flight logs, the Wall Street Journal deciphers his latest movements and actions. We can see the Russians in military uniform in certain Telegram images. He is armed and wears a bulletproof vest on a vacant lot.
The Friday before his death he went to Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. The reason for this trip is to discuss with President Touadera the presence of Wagner’s mercenaries.
He had no idea it would be his farewell tour
According to our colleagues in Le Parisien, he wanted to reassure the president about his current support and the solidity of their ties. He also mentions that his failed mutiny “would not prevent him from bringing new fighters and investments to his commercial partners in Central Africa”, reports the American newspaper.
After his passage, according to the American press, he received a shipment of gold bars from Darfur. This would be thanks in exchange for missiles brought by the Wagner.
At the same time, the American newspaper tells us that Russian Deputy Defense Minister Lounous-bek Evkurov was visiting Libya, asserting a speech in contradiction with the Wagner countries.
On Tuesday, August 22, the Russian Deputy Minister of Defense met General Khalifa Haftar about a military partnership. Haftar reportedly said he doubted Wagner’s reliability. The next day, Wagner’s leader took off from Mali for Russia before crashing.
