Sudan denies that Russian mercenaries are present in the country.

The presence of a Russian private military contractor in Sudan has been disputed.

Wagner Group personnel were involved in social media disinformation campaigns and illegal gold mining in Sudan, according to a joint statement by British, American, and Norwegian envoys.

Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "The Sudanese administration wishes to dispute [these reports] in their entirety."

Western diplomats were accused by the authorities of wanting to drag Sudan into the continuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Sudan's deputy leader, Gen Mohamed Hamdan "Hemeti" Dagalo, recently paid a visit to Moscow.

In the Central African Republic, Russian mercenaries have been accused of violating human rights.

The Wagner mercenaries were reported to have been sent to Mali by Western governments.

Thousands of mercenaries have been supporting renegade commander Khalifa Haftar against forces loyal to the UN-backed government in Tripoli, where the paramilitary group has thousands of fighters.

Sudanese military leaders have maintained strong ties with Russia since long-time President Omar al-Bashir, a close ally of Moscow, was deposed in April 2019 following mass protests.

In a 2017 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, al-Bashir requested Moscow's protection from "aggressive US acts."