ワグネル用施設か　戦闘員の姿はなし　ベラルーシ

【ツェリＡＦＰ＝時事】ベラルーシ・マヒリョウ州ツェリには、新たに設置された軍の野営地がある。伐採されたばかりの木の匂いが漂うこの野営地は、短命に終わった反乱を起こしたエフゲニー・プリゴジン氏が率いるロシア民間軍事会社ワグネルの戦闘員が使用する可能性がある。（写真はロシアの民間軍事会社ワグネルの戦闘員に提供される可能性がある野営地。ベラルーシ・マヒリョウ州ツェリにて）
　プリコジン氏とロシア大統領府は、ベラルーシのアレクサンドル・ルカシェンコ大統領の仲介で、反乱の終結とワグネル戦闘員らのベラルーシへの移住で合意した。
　だが、ルカシェンコ氏は６日、プリゴジン氏とワグネル戦闘員はベラルーシ国内にいないと明らかにした。
　外国メディアを野営地に案内したベラルーシ国防省の顧問、レオニード・カシンスキー氏は「ワグネル戦闘員を捜しているのなら、ここにはいない」と述べた。
　野営地の見学ツアーは、ルカシェンコ氏の外国メディアとの会見の一環。報道規制が厳しい同国でこうした会見はまれだ。
　３００張りのテントは約５０００人収容できるが、数人の警備員が休憩所として使っている１張りを除きすべて空だった。カシンスキー氏は、テントは秋に予定されている演習のためだとしている。
　ツェリでワグネルの反乱前後、なんらかの施設の建設が始まったことを示す衛星画像が報じられると、ワグネルを受け入れるためではないかとの臆測が広がった。
　ルカシェンコ氏はそれを否定。ただ、ワグネルにはツェリを含め今は使われていない軍の施設の提供を提案したと明らかにした。
　カシンスキー氏は「ここは用意ができているので、（ワグネルに）提供されるかもしれない」と述べた。
　■「必要ならそうなるだけ」
　ウクライナや中央アフリカ、シリアをはじめ多くの国で人権侵害行為を行ったとされるワグネル戦闘員が数千人もやってくるかもしれないことについて、ツェリ郊外の町アサポビチの住民の意見は割れている。
　報復を恐れて匿名で取材に応じた女性は「怖い。平和の中で子どもには育ってほしい。私に言えるのはこれだけ」と話した。
　一方、幼稚園勤務のエレナ・ビングリンスカヤさん（４５）は「何も心配していない。必要ならくるだろう」とした上で、ワグネル戦闘員の存在が市民を守ってくれるかもしれないと期待を寄せた。
　ルカシェンコ氏が再選を果たした２０２０年の疑惑の大統領選前、国内の不安定化を企てたとしてワグネル戦闘員約３０人が逮捕された。ロシア政府はワグネルとのつながりを認めておらず、謎に包まれた存在だった。
　カシンスキー氏は、ベラルーシが「ワグネルと対立する理由はない」と主張する。だが、ワグネルとロシア政府との合意内容は依然として不透明な部分が多い。
　カシンスキー氏は「最終的な駐留地は、ワグネルとその司令官に委ねられると話した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/07/13-17:33）

The smell of freshly cut wood floated over a newly built Belarusian camp site that could end up housing Russia's Wagner fighters after their short-lived rebellion against the Russian army's leaders last month.
With Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko acting as mediator, the Kremlin struck a deal with Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin to end the mutiny and see him move to neighbouring Belarus along with some of his men.
But on Thursday, Lukashenko cast that deal into doubt when he revealed that neither Prigozhin nor his mercenaries were in the country.
If you're looking for them, you won't find them here, said Leonid Kasinsky, an aide to the Belarusian defence ministry.
Kasinsky was showing the camp site in central Belarus to a group of foreign journalists, who received a rare invitation to the tightly controlled country for a roundtable interview with Lukashenko.
Around him, the 300 tents that could welcome around 5,000 people were empty -- apart from one, where some guards could be seen resting.
Kasinsky said the tents were set up in preparation for planned exercises in the autumn.
Speculation that the camp could be used for Wagner fighters surged after satellite images circulating in media reports showed construction work there around the time of the mutiny.
Lukashenko denied Belarus was building a new facility but said he had offered former military sites -- including the one in Tsel -- to Wagner.
Given that the base is ready... (Wagner) may be offered it, Kasinsky said.
- 'If it has to be done' -
The potential arrival of thousands of Russian mercenary fighters divided locals in the town of Asipovichy, near Tsel.
Men from the Wagner private mercenary army have been accused of abuses in many countries, including Ukraine, the Central African Republic and Syria.
I am scared... I want peace, I want my children to grow up. That's all I can say, said a woman who declined to disclose any personal details for fear of reprisal.
Since the 2020 protests against his re-election, Lukashenko has increased the repression of critical voices.
Other residents, however, said they were not worried.
I don't have any concerns. If it needs to be done, it needs to be done, said 45-year-old kindergarten worker Yelena Vinglinskaya.
Belarus itself has had a contentious history with Wagner.
In the lead-up to Lukashenko's disputed 2020 re-election, Belarus actually arrested around 30 Wagner fighters accused of plotting to destabilise the country.
- Up to Moscow -
Since then, Wagner has come out of the shadows, particularly during the Ukraine offensive.
Prigozhin finally admitted he had founded the private army and became a firebrand critic of Russia's military top brass.
His mercenaries led the battle for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which exposed rivalries between Prigozhin and the regular army.
These tensions culminated with Prigozhin's armed rebellion on June 23-24, the biggest challenge yet to Russian President Vladimir Putin's authority.
Vinglinskaya said Wagner's presence in Belarus could be another way to protect the population.
Kasinsky agreed. I don't see any reason why we would have conflict with the Wagner group, he said.
We are not going to compete with anyone. We're going to get their unique combat experience, he told journalists.
But much still remains unclear about the deal that was meant to end the mutiny and that allowed Lukashenko to position himself as a power broker.
The final decision on where they get stationed will be up to Wagner and its commanders, Kasinsky said.