Russia’s Wagner Group and the sustainment of authoritarianism in Africa: Implications for China at home and abroad

As captured by Authoritarian Conflict Management (ACM), Russian reliance upon Wagner Group in Africa runs counter to several Chinese efforts: economic and trade projects, development and conflict prevention/resolution, and multilateral engagement. To make this case, the article first explains the rationales for authoritarian sustainment and then it explores ACM’s three components of discourse, space, and economy. ACM considerations clarify how Wagner Group’s activities hinder the Chinese approach in Africa generally and in particular contexts. Specifically, the article considers Wagner Group’s efforts in the Central African Republic (CAR) and Mali. The instability linked to Wagner Group relates to both the nature of its engagement and the limitations of its presence that together are disruptive for China. Furthermore, the article identifies how Wagner Group upsets UN peacekeeping activities which in turn reduces their utility for various Chinese needs.