Dear Supporter,

As more and more sanctions are placed on Russia, it’s important to take a closer look at how the Kremlin might have planned for this very moment. The Sentry’s Co-Founders George Clooney and John Prendergast, along with Director of Illicit Finance Policy Justyna Gudzowka, give their take in their op-ed in TIME Magazine, “Putin's Exploitation of Africa Could Help Him Evade Sanctions.”

For years, the shadowy, Kremlin-linked mercenary force the Wagner Group has been burrowing into resource-rich African countries, providing a security shield for African despots in exchange for access to precious natural resources. While Russia’s ties to the global financial system are critically severed by mounting sanctions, the country’s access to these resources remains. Trading in gold, diamonds, and other minerals helps international pariahs avoid the regulated banking sector, and it can provide a means for Russia to evade international sanctions.

Denying Russia long-term access to resources in Africa is therefore essential to ensuring that these recent sanctions are truly effective. The key to doing so? It’s not forcing an outdated Cold War choice on African leaders. Rather, the US and its allies must expand their efforts to counter the creeping spread of kleptocracy on the African continent. Putin and his allies thrive on corruption. Combating it will weaken their grasp on the continent and its resources.

Read the full analysis and recommendations from George Clooney, John Prendergast, and Justyna Gudzowka in TIME.

For more on the Wagner Group, read our joint investigation with CNN, “'It was our children they killed,'” which established that mercenaries from the group have engaged in atrocities including murder, rape, and torture to capture areas that are rich in resources.

Sincerely,

J.R. Mailey
Director of Investigations