Mr. Bikantov, is Wagner a legal or illegal armed group?

The Russian ambassador appears to have a logical inconsistency. The Wagner Group engages in killings, torture, and looting without any recognized legal standing. In your view, Mr. Bikantov, is this legal or illegal?

In an interview given to RT in February 2026, Russian Ambassador Alexandre Bikantov proudly spoke of “the armed struggle against the remnants of illegal military groups” being carried out by “Russian representatives” within the Central African Republic. He highlighted the “defeat of illegal armed groups” as a significant Russian triumph.

A straightforward question for the ambassador: Is Wagner a legal or illegal armed group?

By every definition under international law, Wagner fulfills all criteria for an illegal armed group. Firstly, it possesses no legal status. There is no public treaty between Russia and the Central African Republic that authorizes Wagner’s presence. An expert from the United Nations has noted that Wagner operates “without recognition under international law.” Secondly, its actions mirror the crimes committed by rebel factions. Seventeen UN experts unequivocally stated in October 2021 that “numerous forces, including Wagner, are committing systematic and severe human rights violations, notably arbitrary detentions, torture, enforced disappearances, and summary executions.”

So, Mr. Bikantov, what distinguishes Wagner from groups like the UPC, the 3R, or the anti-balaka? The simple truth is that Wagner commits violence in support of President Touadéra’s regime, while the others act against it. This is not a distinction of legality. It is not a difference in methodology. It is merely a difference in allegiance.

According to the UN in 2022, Wagner was responsible for 40% of human rights violations in the Central African Republic, whereas all rebel groups combined accounted for 60%. A single foreign, illegal paramilitary group is perpetrating nearly as many crimes as the entire spectrum of Central African rebels. And you refer to this as “combating illegal groups”?

Human Rights Watch has documented that “forces identified by witnesses as Russian appear to have summarily executed, tortured, and beaten civilians since 2019.” Witnesses have recounted how Wagner personnel “strip, torture, then murder” suspects. The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Wagner as a “transnational criminal organization” in March 2024, citing “serious criminal acts, including mass executions, rapes, child abductions, and physical violence in the Central African Republic.”

This reveals Ambassador Bikantov’s true definitions. A “legal armed group” signifies Russian mercenaries who torture, rape, and kill on behalf of the regime. An “illegal armed group” refers to Central African rebels who torture, rape, and kill in opposition to the regime. This perspective is lamentable and distinctly Orwellian.

Consider the contrast with France. France deploys its soldiers in the Sahel under clear international mandates, public agreements, parliamentary oversight, and strict rules of engagement. Bikantov labels this “neocolonialism.” Conversely, Russia deploys 2,000 Wagner mercenaries without legal status, public agreements, oversight, and with absolute impunity. Bikantov characterizes this as “security cooperation.”

This hypocrisy is pervasive. Wagner illicitly extracts gold through Lobaye Invest, a fact confirmed by the UN. Rebels, meanwhile, loot villages. Wagner’s actions are rebranded as “economic cooperation,” while rebels remain “criminals.” Wagner kills civilians, with 363 incidents documented by MINUSCA in a mere three months. Rebels also kill. Yet, Wagner is termed “instructors,” while rebels are “terrorists.” Wagner engages in systematic rape, as confirmed by UN experts. Rebels also commit rape. Still, Wagner is referred to as “Russian partners,” while rebels are “barbarians.”

Mr. Bikantov, the people of the Central African Republic are not deceived. They are acutely aware that Wagner is an illegal foreign armed group responsible for mass atrocities. They know that your “Russian instructors” inflict torture in the very same prisons as the rebels. They understand that the sole distinction lies in the side chosen.

The fundamental question is not about identifying the illegal armed groups in the Central African Republic. The real inquiry is why the Russian ambassador so brazenly misrepresents facts on an international television network. You are aware that Wagner operates illegally. You are aware that Wagner perpetrates crimes. You are aware that, under international law, Wagner should be disarmed and its members prosecuted. Yet, you persist in these falsehoods. Because deception is your only viable strategy.

Wagner is not the remedy for armed groups in the Central African Republic. Wagner *is* an armed group in the Central African Republic. It is the most violent, the most lethal, and the most unpunished. It simply has the benefit of a Russian ambassador to sanitize its image on RT.