The American Enterprise Institute has alleged that notorious Russian Mercenary Group, Wagner instigated the August 10 violence in Freetown and other parts of the country. Over 30 civilians and police officers lost their lives in the protests that turned deadly. 

The Institute said that the Russian Group is now turning attention to the remaining three Mano River Union countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast after a successful stint in Guinea.

The think tank Group said the Mercenary Group is taking advantage of the current economic hardship in both Sierra Leone and Liberia.

The Group founded and run by Vladimir Putin’s ally Yevgeny Prigozhin is at current active in Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso where there are reports of them carrying out human rights abuse.

The AEI also reported that the Group is currently exploiting the resources of the three West African nations after their governments sever ties with colonial masters, France.

The Wagner Group is also quite active in the Ukraine War with many of its troops stationed in battlegrounds.

The first mercenary group to carry out activities in Sierra Leone was South African Executive Outcomes (EO) who were contracted by late President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah in the country’s civil.

Sierra Leone suffered a devastating decade civil war that left about 60,000 dead and over a million and half displaced. The West African state has enjoyed relative peace since 2002.

However, some experts are of the notion that the current economic hardship could trigger events similar to the 10 August protest last year.