Following instances of instability in Mali and Burkina Faso that saw Russia’s influence rise in Africa, France is closely working with Egypt to reach a cease-fire and avoid similar scenario in Sudan.

As it weighs its options in Sudan, French diplomacy is increasingly concerned about Russian role in the fighting through the mercenary group Wagner, as it tries to galvanize efforts behind a ceasefire.

France is concerned that as in Mali, Russia could exploit the destabilization of Sudan to expand its influence in the country. The Russian Wagner Group has been present in the country since 2017, when it started offering training there, mostly to officers of Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo known as Hemedti who controls the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Wagner has also offered intelligence support to the Sudanese army. More recently, the group has taken over the management of some of the gold mines in Sudan, the New York Times reported last year.

Reports since 2018 have revealed several visits to Khartoum by Wagner’s chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. Last November, Le Monde and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) published an investigative report, showing that Wagner has received access to Sudan’s natural resources, in exchange for policing equipment and training for the Sudanese army.

CNN reported on Thursday that Wagner has been supplying the RSF with missiles to aid their fight against the country’s army.

In Mali, Russia and Wagner threw their weight behind the military in 2021 as it orchestrated a coup and ousted France. An estimated 4,500 French troops stationed in the north of Mali to battle jihadist groups were forced to leave. Paris believes that Moscow was not only behind the decision by Mali’s Junta to drive France out, but also behind a long disinformation campaign to ignite anti-French sentiments within the local Mali population.

Last January, Burkina Faso announced it was ending its military cooperation with France. Paris believes that in this case as well, while operating more discretely, Moscow was behind a similar anti-French campaign in an African country.

Cease-fire and evacuations

Now Paris is pushing for a cease-fire in Sudan. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna participated in a virtual meeting Thursday organized by the African Union and the United Nations in a bid to push the parties in Sudan to agree to a cease-fire.

A statement issued by the French Foreign Ministry after the meeting said, “France lends its full support to the joint call by all the participants of the meeting for a humanitarian, immediate and unconditional cease-fire in Sudan on the occasion of the Eid holiday.“