Remnants of the disgraced Russian mercenary outfit still operate in Africa as desperate countries turn to these groups as they face serious insurgencies.
Over the past several years, Russian state-linked mercenaries have established a foothold in the force-for-hire market in Africa. Despite a demonstrated inability to degrade security threats, a litany of egregious human rights violations, and increasing sanctions against their founders, facilitators, and clients, Russian mercenaries continue to find customers among conflict-ridden states and authoritarian-leaning leaders. The Africa Corps is the largest of these groups.
The Africa Corps, also called the Russian Expeditionary Corps (REK), is a Russian mercenary group controlled and managed by the Russian government to support Russian political influence and Russia-aligned governments in Africa.
Mercenaries in Africa
As outlined below, private military contractors defend American interests overseas. Mercenaries, on the other hand, expand foreign government interests overseas. Usually, that foreign government is Russia. It’s one of the only countries in the world that still uses mercenaries like the Africa Corps. These mercenaries are particularly active in three African nations.
Burkina Faso
Shortly before World War I, the French subjugated a large African empire centered in this West African nation. The French left in 1960. Since then, a combination of government corruption and environmental disasters, mostly droughts and famines, have set the stage for continual instability. This instability includes successful coups in 1966, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1987, and twice in 2022 (January and September), along with three unsuccessful coup attempts in 1989, 2015, and 2023.
A Jihadist insurgency, which was part of the larger Islamist movement in the Sahel (sub-Saharan Africa) began in August 2015. The fighting got worse in 2016 when another militant group joined the fray. The government declared full mobilization in 2023, but Islamist insurgents still control about half the country.
Troops on both sides have allegedly committed atrocities, creating tens of thousands of refugees, many of whom sought shelter in neighboring countries.
Mali
The French also broke up the Mali Empire in the 1890s. When the French left around 1960, the newly independent country struggled for several decades until the 1990s, when it was one of the most stable, multi-party democracies on the continent.
The good old days did not last. A slave rebellion was quashed in 2013. Slavery is legal in Mali to this day. But ethnic tensions remain. For centuries, the Dogon, Bambara, and Fula tribes have squabbled over natural resources. This squabbling escalated into full-blown fighting in 2015. These groups, along with an African version of ISIS, have effectively partitioned the country.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made a verbal security commitment to Mali in 2023, and in 2024, Mali severed diplomatic relations with Ukraine.
Mozambique
An Islamic insurgency began in this East African nation in 2017. The rebels have not carried out a major attack since 2021, but they still lurk in remote parts of the country.
Mercenaries v. Contractors: Duties
Mercenaries have one basic duty, which is to fight for the highest bidder. Contractors, on the other hand, have several duties that jive with the military status in these three countries.
Governments like Burkina Faso need combat support. As government security forces conduct offensive operations, contractors defend hard-won gains. Many regular servicemembers view guard duty as punishment duty. However, private military contractors are specifically trained for such tasks and embrace them wholeheartedly.
Private military contractors also collect valuable intelligence in such active war zones. This intelligence helps government forces target their efforts, maximizing damage to the enemy and minimizing collateral damage.
Combat skills are important in places like Mali. Diplomatic skills are equally important. Typically, multiple people want a voice in the government and, more importantly, want government protection. Contractors extend government protection so these people feel included.
This diplomatic skill is part of a contractor’s profile. Americans are not popular in many parts of the world. Contractors represent the government but are not part of the government. That is a subtle yet significant difference.
Nations like Mozambique need “back office” military support. Contractors train government troops and maintain weapons systems. A well-trained and well-equipped military force may be the greatest deterrent to aggression.
Mercenaries vs. Contractors: Injury Compensation
All these activities are dangerous. Mercenaries and contractors face the same risks, but different remedies are available. Mercenaries are on their own when they get injured. However, a Defense Base Act lawyer can obtain significant financial compensation for injured private military contractors. This compensation usually includes:
- Lost Wage Replacement: In most cases, the DBA pays two-thirds of the victim’s average weekly wage for the duration of a temporary or permanent disability. The AWW is based on prior, current, and likely future wages. Irregular compensation, such as performance bonuses, is also a factor. A deployment-related trauma injury, like a gunshot wound, or occupational disease, such as burn pit exposure, could cause a temporary or permanent disability.
- Medical Bills: This benefit is comprehensive. It covers everything from emergency transportation to a medical facility to the final day of physical therapy. These bills are often very high, especially if the contractor is deployed in a remote area far from the nearest capable medical facility. The DBA pays all these bills as long as they are reasonably necessary. Insurance company lawyers often drag their feet and delay settlement over this issue. More on that below.
Injured contractors qualify for DBA benefits if they worked for a U.S. government agency (or a sympathetic foreign government in some cases), the injury occurred in an overseas war zone, and the injury or illness was at least indirectly related to deployment.
Most DBA claims settle out of court. However, most don’t settle quickly, mostly because of the aforementioned insurance company foot-dragging. A DBA lawyer encourages victims to persevere during this process instead of settling claims quickly and taking the easy way out. Usually, benefits are retroactive to the date of disability, which may be much earlier than the filing date.
For more information on the DBA claims procedure, contact Barnett, Lerner, Karsen, Frankel & Castro, P.A.