Russia Sends Military Instructors to Equatorial Guinea – Reports

November 15, 2024

• The presidents of Equatorial Guinea and Russia met in September • The presidents of Equatorial Guinea and Russia met in September

Russia has report­edly sent up to 200 troops to Equato­rial Guinea to pro­tect the presidency, as it continues to expand its presence in Africa.

Media reports say that the Russians are training elite guards in the country’s two main cities – the capital Malabo and Bata.

Reports of Russian troops de­ployed in the country first surfaced in August.

Russia, which has been seeking to gain more influence in Africa, has in recent years sent thou­sands of mercenaries to West and Central Africa to protect military regimes and help them fight insur­gents.

The Reuters news agency quot­ed sources saying that between 100 and 200 Russians were estimated to have arrived in the past two months.

It said some were likely to be part of the Corps Africa, a para­military force previously known as Wagner before being renamed and officially coming under Russian military control.

There have been other reports of sightings of the mercenaries in both Malabo and Bata, also indi­cating that they were there to pro­tect the president and his family.

The tiny country with a population of 1.7 million is led by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the world’s longest-serving president who has been in power since 1979.

His son, Teodoro Obiang Mangue, who is known for his lavish lifestyle, is the country’s vice-president.

He has been at the centre of scandals around the world, and has been the subject of criminal charges and sanctions.

—BBC