Africa Corps (GRU)
playerMoney & Finance · Darknet & Cyber
Russia's state paramilitary trades soldiers-for-hire to African regimes in exchange for gold and diamond mines, funding the Kremlin's war outside the global banking system.
Who they are
Africa Corps is a Russian military-intelligence (GRU) paramilitary force that replaced the Wagner Group after Prigozhin's death in August 2023.
What they do
It's an extraction tool that provides regime security in exchange for mineral wealth.
How it works
Commanded by Gen. Andrei Averyanov and Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, it operates across Mali, Sudan, CAR, Niger and more, trading military protection for mining concessions; in Sudan alone $1.9-2.5 billion in gold is smuggled via the UAE to fund the Kremlin's war economy, and in Niger it consolidated uranium and gold routes previously controlled by France.
Why it matters
It matters as a violence-for-hard-assets machine that lets Russia secure resources and money outside the SWIFT banking system.
The engine's record — word for word
Replaced Wagner Group after Prigozhin death (Aug 2023). Commanded by Gen. Andrei Averyanov (GRU Unit 29155) and Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov. Present in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, CAR, Sudan, Mozambique, Libya. The Regime Survival Package: military security traded for mining concessions. CAR: Lobaye Invest/Diamville control gold and diamond assets. Sudan: Meroe Gold, $1.9-2.5B gold smuggled via UAE to fund Kremlin war economy. Mali: artisanal gold sites captured, industrial mines (Barrick) resisted. Niger: US expelled from Base 201, Russian entities consolidated uranium/gold routes previously French (Orano). Not designed to govern — optimized paramilitary extraction tool leveraging violence to secure hard assets outside SWIFT.
Follow the trail
Walk this on the live map →