UK inaction let Wagner Group flourish outside of Europe, parliamentary report says

A decade of inaction by the UK government has allowed Russia's Wagner Group to flourish in Africa, according to parliamentary report published Wednesday.

Evidence presented to the Foreign Affairs select committee confirmed that the Russian mercenary group not only served as an arm of the Kremlin - which had funded it to the tune of billions of roubles - but also of aided key UK allies such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, according to The Guardian.

The select committee report concluded: "For nearly 10 years, the government has under-played and underestimated the Wagner network's activities... [and] not told us anything specific it is doing to challenge the network’s influence and impunity in countries other than Ukraine, beyond sanctions coordination."

'Opportunity in suffering, profiting in chaos'

The Russian mercenary group - led by Vladimir Putin's personal chef Yevgeny Prigozhin - played a leading role in Moscow's invasion of Ukraine but was also involved in Moscow's interventions in Syria, Libya and elsewhere.

The parliamentary report criticised the government's s0le focus on Wagner's activities in Ukraine with the committee finding that Africa was a key source of income for the force. 

Despite Wagner fighters being involved in frontline fighting in Ukraine, their operations also lie outside of Europe and particularly in Africa.

The report found Wagner is active in Libya, Sudan, the Central African Republic, Mozambique and Mali, as well as Syria. 

Alicia Kearns, the chair of the committee, said: "We are deeply concerned by the government’s dismal lack of understanding of Wagner’s hold beyond Europe … this is a fundamental failing of a joined-up government; ministers appear to be in denial about the consequences of failing to tackle this malign business model before it takes hold… where the west moves out, Wagner moves in, seeing opportunity in suffering and profit in chaos."

A UK government spokesperson responded by saying the government had "heavily sanctioned" the Wagner Group and its leaders, including by "limiting its travel and seizing its assets".