- [Narrator] One night in March, 2023
in the Central African Republic,
security cameras captured a group
of men hurling Molotov cocktails over the fence
of a brewing facility owned by French multinational Castel,
one of the largest beverage conglomerates in the world.
Western intelligence agencies would later confirm
that The Wagner Group was responsible for the attack
that destroyed a large portion of the brewery's stock.
The arson wasn't a random act of vandalism.
It was part of a larger war
for influence in Africa between Russia and the West.
In the Central African Republic,
beer matters to Wagner
because French brands have a large presence
in their former colony.
Since the 1990s,
Castel has produced a beer called MOCAF
in the Central African Republic.
The MOCAF Brewery has been one of the largest employers
in the country's limited industrial sector.
One year prior to the arson attack,
Wagner broke ground on a competing brewery
north of the capitol, Bangi.
They've rapidly scaled up production and distribution
of their own beer brand called Africa Ti L'Or,
which is sold as Russian.
Castel was able to keep producing its MOCAF beer
throughout CAR's civil war,
but not without controversy.
In 2021, a report by the investigative nonprofit group,
The Century detailed
how Castel protected its business interests in CAR
by making cash payments to rebel groups
like the Union for Peace or UPC.
Castel did not respond to requests for comment
but in the past,
they've denied these payments were criminal
and that they fueled the conflict.
Using the details in the report,
Wagner saw an opportunity to sell its narrative
about the role of the French
as exploitative colonizers in the country.
In January, 2023,
a group of social media accounts began simultaneously
spreading the same message,
"Castel supports terrorism."
One meme spread by the campaign depicted bottles of MOCAF
loaded into an assault rifle with the message,
"Each bottle purchased is a bullet in the gun of bandits."
Disinformation experts the journal spoke to confirmed
these accounts were connected to Wagner
and said the campaign bears the hallmarks
of one of Wagner's online influence operations.
Wagner's campaign also used offline means
of spreading this message
like billboards and flyers.
One flyer read "With each Castel purchase,
you fund the war and kill yourself."
The group also organized demonstrations
where protestors poured out bottles of MOCAF
while holding signs about Castel's support for armed groups.
The protests were amplified
by Wagner funded social media accounts and news outlets.
Wagner used its existing network of businesses
to supply, build, and staff its brewery.
Most Wagner businesses in CAR are centered
on natural resources like gold, diamonds, and timber.
Africa Ti L'Or represents a shift
for Wagner into businesses that engage with the public.
Selling Russian beer
to Central Africans provides an opportunity
to sell a positive image for Russia's role in the country.
Many of the same accounts that took part
in the campaign against Castel now tout Africa Ti L'Or
as an alternative.
Representatives for Wagner and Africa Ti L'Or
did not respond to requests for comment.
Wagner's message about Castel mirrors its broader message
that the French exploited the country
and contributed to its violence,
and that Russia and Wagner are here to help.
(man speaking in foreign language)
- [Narrator] Across Africa,
Wagner has organized demonstrations
and social media campaigns,
promoting Russia as an alternative to France and the West.
Since the attack, Castel has continued to produce its beer
in CAR and Wagner's future role in the country
appears to be in flux after the death of its leader,
Yevgeni Prigozhin,
but their presence remains deeply ingrained.