Why Wagner dey win hearts for Central African Republic

Na welcoming atmosphare greet worshippers wey dey enta Russian Orthodox Church, e dey for one street wey get bad roads for Central African Republic (CAR) capital.

At first look, notin dey out of di ordinary about dis Sunday morning scene for mainly Christain kontri.

But Saint-Andre-Apotre, about 20 minute drive from di centre of Banguli, don symbolise some of di friendly ties between Russia and di CAR.

Father Serguei Voyemawa, wey dey run di kontri only Russian Orthodox Church, e dey wear one floor-length white robe wey dem cover wit gold clothe. E waka around to read prayers and swinging incense burner as di congregation watch im evri move.

Di wall of di building, wey get concrete floor and aluminium roof, wey wooden beams support, dey adorned wit hand-painted fotos of saints while half dozen candles burn on di wooden altar.

Fr Voyemawa no bin wan make we visit am, dis na few months afta Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin die for August, wey don lead to increase scrutiny and concern ova di growing influence of Russia in CAR and especially di presence of di mercenary group.

Nearly 200 Russian military instructor don arrive for CAR afta President Faustin-Archange Touadéra ask for help to tackle rebel groups for 2018.

But according to one report by investigative group The Sentry, in dat time Wagner don take advantage of weak institutions and weak army to perfect "a blueprint for di state capture".

"We don see dem focus on four pillars: political, economic, information, disinformation and propaganda - and di military," Nathalia Dukhan, one senior investigator for The Sentry wey don has spend many years to report on di kontri, tell di BBC.

"Dem don enta dis sectors to advance dia financial and economic interests. In di mining sector, Wagner don dey use di national army to advance and neutralise some of di armed groups wey dey control areas of interest."

Ms Dukhan tok say di mercenaries dey waging one "campaign of terror" and dem dey responsible for widespread human rights abuse including extrajudicial killings, torture and rape.

Earlier dis year, di UK proscribe di network as a terrorist group, while di US designate am as "significant transnational criminal organisation".

However, for many Central Africans, afta one decade of civil war, di situation dey more dificult.

Fr Voyemawa explain say im relationship wit Russia na bifor di arrival of Wagner forces. Im start to dey raise fund for di church in 2010 and building start for 2015.

Im no gree discuss politics: "Our relationship wit Moscow na religious one."

Even so, e tell me how much tins don change since di troops don arrive: "We Central Africans dey veri happy becos di Russians dey here today and on di security front, well peace dey.

"Peace dey for Central African Republic. Dis na five years now wey we don dey live in peace, witout war."

Dis sentiment dem don dem immortalise di stature of Russian troops wey dey one woman and her pikin dem, dem stand for di centre of Bangui.

For dia feet bouquets from August remain dia wit messages for "our best friend Yevgeny Prigozhin".

Pro-Russia sentiment don dey spreed across West and Central Africa, wia eight military coups don happun since 2020.

Kontris including Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso dey reject former colonial power France, wey dem tok say e don fail to dey assist wit security challenges.

Many Central Africans echo dis feelings.

"We need a win-win partnership. Dat na why di Russians dey here... so dis kontri fit also benefit from future development," Emery Brice Ganzaléis tok, one Central African businessman wey recently relocate to Bangui afta two decades wey im live for France.

"If Russia adopt di same policy as France for Africa, e no fit work."

Bambari, di capital of Ouaka region roughly 400km (250 miles) north-east of Bangui, witness some of di worst violence during di conflict and e show how security don slowly improve.

Di only way to enta into di town na on UN-operated flight wey dey work three days for one week. Driving dey inadvisable and e go take days becos di roads dey bad.

E go dey remind you of di challenges di kontri dey face. E dey everi wia di UN mission, wey dem sabi as Minusca, wit di trademark blue helmets and white vehicles wey dey visible all ova town.

Since 2014, Minusca dey play ogbonge role to protect civilians and e dey work wit di authorities, but dem no dey authorised to take sides or fight.

Bambari still dey under rebel control two years ago, but now na vibrant and bustling - though di charred remain of burnt-out buildings still dot di town.

Di relative peace don allow 15-year-old Jovanie Renemeya - and di thousands of pikin wey join di armed groups - dey hope for better future.

Dem gbab am as a young girl wit im grandmother and carry am go work for one rebel camp.

"I dey traumatised for a long time," Jovanie tok, as she dey explain how she take endure di terrible physical abuse and escape forced marriage to one of di rebels.

Afta one year she and her grandmother manage to escape wen dem dey go to fetch water. Jovanie wey don dey wit her parents, don start pig farming to save money and she dey dream of becoming doctor.

For Victor Bissekoin, di governor of Ouaka, dis return to normality no go dey possible witout di intervention of Wagner army.

"Wen we don ask for weapons and support from di international community, dem don put sanctions on us," e tell di BBC.

"In 2021 Russia arrive [here] and within two years help us to control almost di whole kontri, apart from some tiny pockets along some borders.

"Wen your house burn and you shout: 'Fire! Fire!' you no go care if di water wey dem give you dey sweet or salty. Wetin you go care about na to off am."

President Touadéra echo dis and defend Wagner presence for di kontri.

"Na 80% of di territory dey occupied by armed groups. Today, thanks to dis co-operation, dis figures dey completely reverse," im tell di BBC during one interview, wey im grant afta several days of negotiations for di presidential palace for Bangui.

Di 66-year-old, wey don controversially win one referendum earlier in di year to remove presidential term limits, dey surround imself wit Wagner forces, and dis na di first time we dey see di mercenaries up close.

Dem dey wear military uniform as dem cover dia face wit balaclavas, di troops dey come out and in of di palace.

During di interview, di president admit say challenges still dey front: "We dey train our defence forces so dem go become professional forces, ready to dey deployed to provide security for di population."

Wen we dey confronted wit allegations say Wagner mercenaries don commit serious human rights abuses, wey include torture, rape and extrajudicial killings, im say dem don set us one investigative committee to verify di claims.

Critics no dey convinced.

"E dey veri dangerous becos [di Wagner Group] dey in di economic field, dem dey for di security field, dem dey in di political field, and now dem dey lead di kontri," former Prime Minister Martin Ziguele tell di BBC.

E initially support di request for Russian help, but e dey disappointed wen dem send mercenaries from Wagner, one "criminal group".

"Dem dey totally free to do wetin dem want, to go wia dem want, and to decide wetin dem want," im tok.

President Touadéra refuse to give date for di eventual withdrawal of Wagner, emphasis di need for peace first.

Ms Dukhan maintain dis na part of Wagner strategy of infiltration, wey go make di kontri dependent.

Dem bin don tink say Wagner power go weak for Africa afta Prigozhin failed mutiny against Russia President Vladimir Putin and den im die. But dem neva disband di group and im fighters neva fully absorb into di Russian army.

"Dem don dey reorganise, redeploy dia men and dia equipment," Ms Dukhan tok. "At first, some interpret dis as departure, but no be so. Na reorganisation."

E dey appear as business as usual for CAR. One clear sign of dis na di sight at di presidential palace of two unmasked Russian men, wey dey hurriedly whisked in to see di president as we wait for our interview.

One of dem na top Wagner official Dmitry Syty, wey dey beside Prigozhin for im last video wey im post before im die and rumour be say di group new frontman.

Anoda indication na di signs all ova Bangui advertising Africa Ti L'Or, one new Russian beer.

For di city Cave bar, di marketing campaign don already win ova some customers.

"I wish say more dey for Central African Republic," Max Franklin tok as im dey nurse im Africa Ti L'Or, wey dem dey regard as more potent dan local beer and betta value as e dey sell bigger bottles.