Russia, Russia, Russia… More Russia meddling in Africa? Angola arrested two Russian suspects, Igor Racthin and Lev Lakshtanov, as agents provocateurs allegedly working for the Wagner Group’s disinformation and propaganda company ‘Africa Politology‘ (sanctioned by the US Treasury since January 2023).
(Apparently, Wagner Group technically no longer exists in some aspects, it does in other aspects, but it is being moved aside by the Kremlin. Does the Africa Corps, Wagner’s replacement, now run Africa Politology, or whatever the propaganda company might be called nowadays?)
The two Russians face a list of charges, including terrorism and terrorist financing and for helping “foment social unrest during the taxi drivers’ strike in Luanda.”
‘The Angola National Taxi Association (ANATA) called for a three-day strike starting on 28 July 2025. Violent clashes with police, acts of “vandalism” and looting were reported in different parts of Luanda, Huambo, Benguela and Huíla. On 30 July, the Minister of Interior, Manuel Homem, confirmed the arrest of 1,214 people, 29 deaths and over 200 injured in three days of strike. However, it is likely that not all casualties have been reported and the number of dead or injured could be higher.’ (RE: Amnesty International: ‘Angola: Authorities must investigate allegations of unlawful use of force that killed 22 people during strike’: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/08/angola-authorities-must-investigate-allegations-of-unlawful-use-of-force-that-killed-22-people-during-strike/ )
Why would the Russians try to foment chaos in Angola? What would their end-goal, if any, be? Could it be to spark a revolt? Could it be to spark yet another coup d’état in Africa, in Angola, just like Mali and Burkina Faso? Mali and Burkina Faso’s coups worked out in Russia’s favour and put the two countries in Moscow’s sphere of influence? But, again, why?
Angola is oil and mineral rich, but relatively stable these days, despite economic and political tensions in Luanda– years ago, Angola’s capital, Luanda, was the most expensive city in the world while it was in a third-world/developing country.
However, the oil-rich enclave of Cabinda is not so stable. An armed independence movement, the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC-FAC), has been around since 1975, since Angola’s MPLA and the Cubans invaded the enclave, thereby making it part of Angola. In recent months, there have been several clashes between the government and separatist groups, with atrocities on both sides. Would the Russians take advantage of this situation?
“Cabinda produces around 60% of Angola’s oil, generating roughly $40 billion (€35.2 billion) annually.”
“Average life expectancy has plummeted from 75 years during colonial times to just 48 today.”
Meanwhile, Angola’s President João Lourenço has moved to build closer relations with the United States. Before US President Biden left office, he visited Luanda in December 2024 for meetings, the first ever visit by a US president to the Republic of Angola. The talks included US investment in Angola, economic cooperation, security and the Lobito Corridor rail project. This massive rail project will hopefully help link Angola to much of Africa and the global economy.
For a long time, throughout the Cold War and after, Angola had close relations with Russia. Russia had backed the MPLA government during the Civil War (11 November 1975 – 4 April 2002).
Lourenço’s remarkable volte face to focus more on the US, particularly now in the present global political climate, and the war in Ukraine, could be a motive for Russian skulduggery in Angola.
While working in Angola and Cabinda some years ago, I discovered that Angola (under the MPLA) had a Civil War debt it was paying off to both Russia and Cuba for their help. (Even among communist ‘workers of the world unite’ idealists, nothing is free.)
Earlier this year, “Liquidators of the European arm of VTB Bank have accused Angola of defaulting on a loan after the lender’s Russian parent was hit by sanctions, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Frankfurt-based OWH, the former VTB Europe, has launched arbitration proceedings against the African country to repay the loan, the people said. It is seeking to recover money on assets that were held in the subsidiary and severed from state-owned VTB by western sanctions on Russia.” RE: https://www.ft.com/content/5b3f046d-3d96-466f-a4c6-5c8227770e3c
Perhaps the Kremlin is desperate to regain a strategic foothold in the West African nation by whatever means, including agitation. Meanwhile, I’ll bet that Putin is pissed off over the debt owed to Russia, and thoroughly miffed at Lourenço for turning to the US. Could these be just some of the reasons for Russian covert incitement in Angola, stirring trouble, discontent and protest, if they are involved? If Russia is meddling, does it hope to instigate revolt and/or a coup?
Let’s also keep our eye on Cabinda.
–RdM
Observado reports: https://observador.pt/2025/08/13/luanda-comunicou-a-moscovo-detencao-de-russos-por-associacao-criminosa-e-terrorismo/
Luanda informed Moscow of the arrest of Russians linked to the Wagner Group for criminal association and terrorism. (English translation, 13 Aug 2025)
The detainees are accused of belonging to Africa Politology, one of the main disinformation platforms on the African continent of the Wagner Group, Prigozhin’s Russian affiliate group.
Angolan authorities have informed the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the arrest of two Russians in Luanda, the Criminal Investigation Service (SIC) announced this Wednesday. The information was released at a press conference in which the SIC presented two Russians and two Angolans, who were held in preventive custody, suspected of criminal association, document forgery, terrorism, and terrorist financing.
According to a note from the SIC, the judge of guarantees decided to restore the freedom of a third Angolan, but with a term of identity and residence, after having been detained last week in the same case.
“We emphasize that our investigations have determined that the Russian citizens are operatives for the organization Africa Politology, whose activities, among other things, involve promoting disinformation campaigns , manipulating local media, and infiltrating political processes, particularly by fomenting subversion,” the SIC statement states. Africa Politology is one of the main disinformation platforms in Africa for the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary contingent created by Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The Russians, according to the SIC, also delivered “large sums of money, in national and foreign currency, to journalists, politicians, professional associations and digital content producers to support their actions.”
The investigation also found, SIC continues, that the organization Africa Politology not only operates with digital propaganda and fake news, but also “finances staged demonstrations, corrupts local journalists, and shapes the public narrative in favor of its strategic interests.”
Through its investigations, the SIC managed to thwart several demonstrations that were scheduled for the provinces of Luanda and Benguela, said spokesperson Manuel Halaiwa, also emphasizing that investigations continue to arrest other suspects and fully clarify these crimes.
During the arrests, the Angolan criminal investigation seized various items of equipment, including computers, cell phones, and various documents, some of which were encrypted, as well as sums of money in national and foreign currency.
When asked about the “large” amount given by Russian citizens to nationals, Manuel Halaiwa said that “at this moment there is an examination being carried out on all the monetary transfers that were made at various points, to various beneficiaries.”
“We’re talking about several groups of people, journalists, politicians, and then at the appropriate time we’ll make the exact amount public, but we know we have amounts in kwanzas, in foreign currency, both US dollars and rubles, which is the Russian currency,” he emphasized.
Manuel Halaiwa added that this entire situation occurs at a time when the country has experienced “great tensions over recent events.”
Luanda comunicou a Moscovo detenção de russos ligados ao Grupo Wagner por associação criminosa e terrorismo. (Portuguese original. 13 Ago 2025)
Detidos são acusados de pertencerem à África Politology, uma das principais plataformas de desinformação no continente africano do Grupo Wagner, o grupo paramiliar russo de Prigozhin.
As autoridades angolanas comunicaram ao Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros da Rússia a detenção de dois russos em Luanda, adiantou esta quarta-feira o Serviço de Investigação Criminal (SIC). A informação foi dada numa conferência de imprensa na qual o SIC apresentou dois russos e dois angolanos, presos preventivamente, suspeitos dos crimes de associação criminosa, falsificação de documentos, terrorismo e financiamento ao terrorismo.
De acordo com uma nota do SIC, o juiz de garantias decidiu restituir a liberdade a um terceiro angolano, mas mediante termo de identidade e residência, depois de ter sido detido na semana passada no âmbito do mesmo caso.
“Realçar que as nossas investigações determinaram que os cidadãos russos são operacionais da organização África Politology, que dentre várias missões a sua atividade visa promover campanhas de desinformação, manipulação da mídia local e infiltração em processos políticos, sobretudo, no fomento da subversão”, refere-se na nota do SIC. A África Politology é uma das principais plataformas de desinformação no continente africano do Grupo Wagner, contingente paramilitar russo criado por Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Os russos terão igualmente, segundo o SIC, entregado “avultadas somas de dinheiro, em moeda nacional e estrangeira, a jornalistas, políticos, associações profissionais e produtores de conteúdos digitais para dar suporte à sua ação”.
A investigação apurou ainda, prossegue o SIC, que a organização Africa Politology não atua apenas com propaganda digital e notícias falsas, mas “financia manifestações encenadas, corrompe jornalistas locais e molda narrativa pública a favor dos seus interesses estratégicos”.
Com as suas investigações, o SIC conseguiu frustrar várias manifestações que estavam agendadas para as províncias de Luanda e Benguela, avançou o porta-voz, Manuel Halaiwa, sublinhando ainda que as investigações prosseguem para a detenção de outros suspeitos e o esclarecimento total destes crimes.
No ato de detenções, a investigação criminal angolana apreendeu vários equipamentos, como computadores, telemóveis e ainda diversos documentos, dos quais alguns codificados, bem como somas em moeda nacional e estrangeira.
Questionado sobre o “avultado” montante entregue pelos cidadãos russos aos cidadãos nacionais, Manuel Halaiwa referiu que “neste momento há um escrutínio a ser feito sobre todas as transferências monetárias que foram feitas em vários pontos, a vários beneficiários”.
“Falamos aqui de vários grupos de pessoas, jornalistas, políticos, para depois em momento próprio trazermos a público o montante exato, mas sabemos que temos valores em kwanzas, em moeda estrangeira, quer dólares norte-americanos quer rublos, que é a moeda russa”, salientou.
Manuel Halaiwa acrescentou que toda esta situação ocorre num momento em que o país registou “grandes tensões sobre os últimos acontecimentos”.
Also see: Radar África: Subversão russa em Angola dá razão parcial a Lourenço / Radar Africa: Russian subversion in Angola partially proves Lourenço right: https://www.jornaldenegocios.pt/economia/mundo/africa/angola/detalhe/radar-africa-subversao-russa-em-angola-da-razao-parcial-a-lourenco