On Thursday, May 4, 2023, a symposium was held in the European Affairs Committee Room of the French National Assembly, organized by Benjamin Haddad, MP for Paris, spokesperson for the Renaissance group, and president of the France-Ukraine Friendship Group. The event aimed to discuss a proposed resolution urging France and the European Union to designate the Wagner private military group as a terrorist organization.
The Wagner Group, a key enforcer of Russian aggression, has established itself as a destructive force on the international stage. With operations in Ukraine, Syria, and several African countries, this private militia epitomizes the Kremlin’s hybrid warfare strategy, operating in the shadows to circumvent international law. Wagner’s atrocities, often marked by egregious human rights violations, pose a direct threat to global stability. This symposium sought to raise awareness and urge French and European policymakers to take immediate action by listing this organization as a terrorist entity—a critical step to counter its subversive activities.
The event featured two panel discussions, bringing together renowned experts to examine the various dimensions of the Wagner phenomenon.
🔷 Panel 1: The Military, Economic, and Political Role of the Private Militia
Alexandra Jousset, journalist and co-director of the documentary “Wagner, Putin’s Shadow Army”, and an auditor at the Institute of Higher National Defense Studies (IHEDN), shed light on Wagner’s internal mechanisms, operations, and field implications. Wassim Nasr, journalist at France 24 and expert on jihadist movements, contributed his insights, particularly on Wagner’s impact on jihadist groups in Mali and the Sahel.
Photo: Wassim Nasr
🔷 Panel 2: The Group’s Operations in Africa and Its Impact on International Relations
The second session featured Colin Gérard, journalist and doctoral researcher specializing in Russia’s influence strategies in the Francophone cyberspace, alongside Benjamin Roger, journalist for Jeune Afrique and author of several reports on Wagner. Mathieu Olivier, political and investigative journalist at Jeune Afrique, also shared his analysis of Wagner’s actions in Africa and their implications for international relations.
The symposium concluded by emphasizing the urgency for France and its European partners to act collectively to counter the Wagner organization. Designating this militia as a terrorist organization could serve as a significant lever to curtail its activities and send a strong message to both private and state actors using such forces to further interests often contrary to international peace and security.
This event represents an important step in mobilizing against the Wagner Group, placing the issue of its designation as a terrorist organization at the center of public and political debate.
Update, May 9, 2023: The French National Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution with 331 votes, calling on France and the European Union to list the Wagner private military group as a terrorist organization.
