By Tom Gardner
I was in need of some Dutch courage. As the super-strength lager trickled down my throat, I pressed the record button on my phone and looked nervously around me. The bar in downtown Bangui was doing a roaring trade, despite the heavy rain thrumming on its tin roof. People were swigging from plastic bottles plastered with the brand name Africa ti L’Or – “Africa is gold” in Sango, the lingua franca of the Central African Republic (CAR). My trepidation stemmed from the fact that the bar was owned by Russian mercenaries.
Explore more
1843 | How Tether became money-launderers’ dream currency
The stablecoin is fuelling a global shadow economy. And it’s never been more respectable
1843 | Shock and ore: Scenes from the relentless search for critical minerals
From Chile to Indonesia, the changing needs of the electronics industry are altering the face of the Earth
1843 | Putin’s next target
Estonia is girding itself for an invasion as its Russian minority grows restless
1843 | A historical guide to surviving and thriving in the court of Trump
Lessons from Thomas Cromwell and Niccolò Machiavelli about winning friends and influencing people in the White House
1843 | The curse of Kenya’s long-distance runners
Kelvin Kiptum had the world at his feet. Then it all ended in an instant
1843 | How Graham Hancock became conspiracy theorists’ favourite historian
His Netflix show claims to uncover the truth about our ancient past. Critics say he peddles dangerous nonsense