Tanzania, Feb. 20 -- In August 2023, Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin died after his private jet crashed about an hour after taking off in Moscow. He had been Russia's pointman in Africa since the Wagner Group began operating on the continent in 2017.

The group is known for deploying paramilitary forces, running disinformation campaigns and propping up influential political leaders. It has had a destabilising effect. Prigozhin's death - and his aborted mutiny against Russian military commanders two months earlier - has led to a shift in Wagner Group's activities.

What does this mean for Africa? Alessandro Arduino's research includes mapping the evolution of mercenaries and private military companies across Africa. He provides some ...