Chinese sailors at the People’s Liberation Army Navy base in Djibouti in 2019. Xinhua Photo

This post has been updated to correct where Russian mercenaries have been operating in Africa.

China’s ambitions in Africa are long-term and range from power plants and port investment to new military bases, but Russia, through its use of mercenaries like the Wagner Group, is propping up autocratic regimes and strives for immediate influence across the continent from Libya to Central Africa, the Pentagon’s top commander for the continent said Tuesday. Read More →