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Comya Group is a British private military company with operations in Sudan, Ukraine, Mozambique, Central African Republic and Nigeria. [1]

Founded in 2018 by Alexandre Benalla, former project manager and deputy chief of staff to French President Emmanuel Macron . [2] Main character in the Benalla Affair, a major scandal of Macron's first five-year term. [3]

International activities

Sudan

In April 2023, Comya Group participated in the evacuation of foreign nationals trapped during the outbreak of the Sudanese conflict, by transporting civilians to official assembly points (embassies, airports) in order to allow their departure from the country. [4]

This operation was carried out by former DGSE (French security service) officers working for Comya Group. [5]

The president of the French security and defense services company, Gallice Gilles Sacaze, revealed that he subcontracted Comya Group to lead the evacuations of his clients. [6]

The intervention of the company Comya Group has sparked controversy within the French Parliament [7], Senator Pierre Laurent notably drew the attention of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna to the fact that private companies should not be authorized to carry out sovereign missions like the evacuation of nationals. [8]

Ukraine

Intelligence Online revealed that the company Comya Group has start operation in Kiev, the company would provide civil training services in Ukraine (mine clearance, explosive detection dogs) for the benefit of the Ukrainian armed forces. [9]

France

In 2020, Comya Group and CS Group, led by former French minister Yazid Sabeg [10] began discussions to enter the facial recognition and vision-based artificial intelligence market with William Eldin, founder of Coyote and President of XXII. [11]

Saudi Arabia

In October 2023, the European Investigative Collaborations revealed in its Predator Files investigation that the company Comya Group was involved in the sale of spyware to the Saudi intelligence services. [12]

Investigative journalists reveal that the founder of Comya Group, Alexandre Benalla was one of those responsible for the security of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before taking up his position at the French Presidency. [13] Mediapart reveals that during Mohammed ben Salman 's first official visit to Paris, Alexandre Benalla participated in the private meeting between Emmanuel Macron and the Saudi Crown Prince. [14]

Guinea-Bissau

The Mediapart newspaper revealed in September 2020, between the President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, Alexandre Benalla, President of Comya Group and Ludovic Chaker, advisor and member of the military staff of President Emmanuel Macron during the official visit of the Bissau-Guinean President in Paris. [15] Catégorie:Article utilisant une Infobox

References

  1. ^ "Le journal En Toute Sécurité du 1er décembre 2023 contient les sujets suivants – En Toute Sécurité" (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  2. ^ "Qui est Alexandre Benalla, ce proche de M. Macron, auteur de violences le 1er mai ?". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2018-07-18. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  3. ^ Mediapart, La rédaction de (2022-07-06). "L'affaire Macron-Benalla". Mediapart (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  4. ^ CHAPLEAU, Philippe (2023-04-24). "Soudan. Des entreprises de sécurité françaises contribuent aux évacuations". Ouest-France.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  5. ^ CHAPLEAU, Philippe (2023-04-24). "Soudan. Des entreprises de sécurité françaises contribuent aux évacuations". Ouest-France.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  6. ^ "Le journal En Toute Sécurité du 1er décembre 2023 contient les sujets suivants – En Toute Sécurité" (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  7. ^ "Évacuation du Soudan des ressortissants étrangers". Sénat (in French). 2023-05-04. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  8. ^ Laurent, Pierre (2023-05-03). "Les entreprises de sécurité privées ne devraient pas être autorisées à assurer des missions régaliennes - Évacuation du Soudan des ressortissants étrangers - Groupe CRCE-K". Groupe Communiste, Républicain, Citoyen, Écologiste - Kanaky (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  9. ^ "Benalla à Kiev, ex-Met dans le privé, du SFO à Capital Law, contrat Beckles/Ankara, Bison recrute chez 5 Stones, promotions chez Nardello". Périodique (in French). 22 March 2023.
  10. ^ "Alexandre Benalla approche Yazid Sabeg sur le créneau de la cybersécurité - 09/06/2020". La Lettre (in French). 2020-06-09. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  11. ^ Turchi, Fabrice Arfi, Antton Rouget, Marine (2020-06-10). "Les réseaux politiques de Benalla lui ouvrent le marché de la reconnaissance faciale". Mediapart (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-07.{{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( link)
  12. ^ "Comment Alexandre Benalla a joué l'entremetteur pour des marchands de cybersurveillance auprès de l'Arabie saoudite". Le Soir (in French). 2023-10-06. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  13. ^ Becker, Sven; Buschmann, Rafael; Hoppenstedt, Max; Naber, Nicola (2023-10-05). "The Predator Files: European Spyware Consortium Supplied Despots and Dictators". Der Spiegel. ISSN  2195-1349. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  14. ^ Rouget, Yann Philippin, Antton (2023-10-05). "Arabie saoudite : la nouvelle affaire Macron-Benalla". Mediapart (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-07.{{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( link)
  15. ^ Turchi, Fabrice Arfi, Antton Rouget, Marine (2020-09-07). "Benalla a rencontré secrètement un chef d'Etat africain avec un membre de l'Elysée". Mediapart (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-07.{{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( link)

Category:Military-related organizations

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