I've been following reports of Wagner and Prighozin since the coup, no the mutiny last month. Prighozin seems to be inching closer back to the center of power. And it's all because of Africa

Wagner boss Prigozhin spotted at Russia-Africa summit Warlord appears on sidelines of summit hosted by President Vladimir Putin less than a month after leading a failed mutiny against him.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has been photographed at a Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg, appearing on the sidelines of the event hosted by President Vladimir Putin just a month after launching a failed mutiny.

In two pictures circulated on social media Thursday, Prigozhin is shown wearing casual jeans and a white shirt, smiling as he presses the flesh with visiting officials.

In the first picture, posted to Facebook by an Africa-based aide, Prigozhin shakes hands with a suited-up African delegate. According to the watchdog All Eyes on Wagner, the African official is chief of protocol to Faustin Touadera, the president of the Central African Republic.

Hundreds of Wagner mercenaries arrived in the Central African Republic last week, according to local reports. The country is holding a constitutional referendum on Sunday that may abolish presidential term limits, therefore allowing Touadera to run again.

Why is Africa important for Wagner and Putin? Putin has long terms plans for Africa and one very important short term goal

GOLD

The UK just issued a report saying Russia's economy is being sustained by the Wagner Group's gold smuggling operations

A report says the mercenary group has been sneaking "significant" amounts of gold out of Sudan.

Smuggled gold is being used to prop up the Kremlin's finances, the report claims.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/russias-economy-being-propped-wagner-223156344.html https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmfaff/167/report.html

This report ties into US sanctions from last month against 4 Wagner affiliated gold companies. https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1581

In other Russia/Wagner/Africa news Wagner is claiming credit for the coup in Niger.

In a subsequent post, the Orchestra Wagner Telegram channel also claimed credit for a coup in Niger that took place on the eve of the St. Petersburg summit, although this claim could not be independently verified.

The ongoing military coup in Niger is threatening to destabilize one of the last Western allies in Africa’s Sahel region.