In this episode of The Africa Program, host Mvemba Phezo Dizolele speaks with journalist and researcher John Lechner—author of Death Is Our Business—about the rise of private military companies in Africa and the evolution of Russia’s Wagner Group. Drawing on years of fieldwork in the Central African Republic, Mali, and across the Sahel, Lechner explains how Wagner blends state interests, private ambition, and entrepreneurial warfare, and how its fighters navigate local politics, conflict dynamics, and community relations on the ground.

The conversation explores why African governments turn to Wagner and similar groups—often out of frustration with ineffective peacekeeping or limited Western support—and how these partnerships fit into broader movements for sovereignty and multipolar engagement. Lechner and Dizolele also discuss how Western policymakers frequently misread these choices through outdated Cold War frameworks, missing the complexity of local realities.

Finally, the episode looks ahead to Wagner’s future after Prigozhin, the emergence of the Africa Corps, and what this new era of private warfare means for the continent’s security landscape. This is a sharp, accessible discussion for anyone interested in African politics, global security, or Russia’s expanding footprint in the region.