As Chair of the @AfricaAPPG I know #WagnerGroup is v active on the continent defending Putin's ambitions in wars, mining, disinformation etc
I asked the Minister how someone could be sanctioned for this illegal activity & then licenced by Govt to spend their ill gotten gains! pic.twitter.com/6ZnLLhn0lj
— Chi Onwurah ???? (@ChiOnwurah) January 25, 2023
(Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)
As well as the Wagner Group’s murderous activities in Ukraine, I am aware, as chair of the all-party parliamentary group for Africa, of its activities across that continent. It has mercenaries in Mali, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Mozambique and Libya. It is targeting civilians, actively spreading disinformation and propping up autocratic regimes, all to defend Putin’s footprint and ambitions in the continent. Is the Minister saying that it is acceptable for someone to make money from those evil activities, be sanctioned and then get a licence from the British Government to evade those sanctions in order to defend themselves legally? Regardless of what he is saying, what message does that send to our allies across the world?