Wagner's 'exiled' Yevgeny Prigozhin hails Niger coup

STORY: Appearing active and free despite a failed mutiny, Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin who rebelled against the Russian army top brass last month, apparently hailed Niger's military coup as good news.

He purportedly said Niger had "rid itself of colonizers" and offered his fighters' services to restore order.

It came through a Telegram voice message that sounded like Prigozhin, though Reuters could not confirm with certainty that it was him.

A video on Wednesday which Reuters has seen but could not verify its authenticity showed Prigozhin telling his fighters in Belarus they would take no further part in the Ukraine War and would head for Africa instead.

These were some of the latest signs Prigozhin remained active even after his brazen insurrection against President Vladimir Putin in late June.

Prigozhin was last seen leaving Russia's Rostov on June 24, heading for Moscow to oust Russia's defense minister.

He stood down after a deal was brokered for safe passage for him and his men to Belarus.

Since then, the Kremlin claims Prigozhin had even attended a meeting with Putin who had earlier called the abortive mutiny "a stab in the back".

Wagner was founded as a way for Russia to get involved in wars in the Middle East and Africa with full deniability.

The West sees Prigozhin's failed mutiny as a sign of weakness from the Kremlin, which is under the strain of the Ukraine war.