Pavel Prigojin Leads Wagner Faction and Family Enterprises in Central African Republic
At 28, Pavel Prigojin now commands about 500 Wagner mercenaries in Bangui and oversees his family’s commercial operations, including gold mines, vodka and beer production, and illicit arms and drug trafficking.
Following his father’s death, 28-year-old Pavel Prigojin assumed control of a Wagner faction in the Central African Republic, directing roughly 500 armed mercenaries who protect President Faustin-Archange Touadéra and combat insurgents. He splits his time between St Petersburg and Bangui, using the luxury Ledger Plaza hotel as the group’s headquarters, where armed, masked personnel screen visitors, even diplomats. Pavel’s portfolio blends legal ventures—gold-mine oversight, a vodka label called Wa Wa Wa and a beer named Africa Ti L'Or—with illicit trades, including the supply of weapons to rebels in Sudan and Libya and the distribution of tramadol.
Investigators note this blend marks a transition from purely military operations to a broader organized-crime network, possibly with tacit Kremlin approval. The family’s commercial and paramilitary activities remain a significant presence in the country’s economy and security landscape.
Why it matters
The story shows how Wagner’s African foothold is evolving into a hybrid of mercenary and criminal enterprises under new leadership.
In this story
