We bring you an extraordinary testimony from Joseph Figueira, the Belgo-Portuguese researcher who endured two years of captivity after his arrest by Russian Wagner mercenaries. His ordeal commenced in Zemio, located in the southeastern Central African Republic, and concluded with his humanitarian release on April 7th. Key questions linger regarding his detention: was his apprehension a random occurrence, or was he a deliberate target chosen for political propaganda? Did he confront what he thought were his final moments within the clandestine cells of Wagner and the prisons across the Central African Republic? Speaking from Portugal, where he is now recovering with his family, the researcher shares his powerful story.

By Yacouba Ouédraogo — Investigative journalist