The Sentry is an investigative and policy organization that seeks to disable multinational predatory networks that benefit from violent conflict, repression, and kleptocracy.
Op-Ed /
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07.17.23
The Economist Op-ed: George Clooney and John Prendergast on how the West can kill the Wagner virus
Note: This op-ed originally published in The Economist and was written by The Sentry’s co-founders George Clooney and John Prendergast.
George Clooney and John Prendergast on how the West can kill the Wagner virus
Without stronger action, state capture in Africa and beyond will spread as the group mutates
In the days since the Wagner Group abandoned its march on Moscow on June 24th, speculation has grown about what will become of Russia’s notorious paramilitary company and its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Amid reports of President Vladimir Putin poking around Wagner’s assets and troop deployments, and with the status and whereabouts of Mr Prigozhin himself cloaked in mystery, the future of the group—and its extensive business empire—is unclear.
What is clear is that Wagner has been one of Russia’s most successful foreign-policy initiatives during the past decade. The group has allowed Russia to expand its influence into unstable states, particularly in Africa, advancing its economic interests, often through violent means…”
