Russian Ambassador to the Central African Republic: There are currently 1,135 Russian military instructors in Central Africa

The Paper's reporter Nan Boyi

On January 20, local time, Russian ambassador to the Central African Republic Bikantov revealed the current number of Russian military personnel in Central Africa, he said that there are currently 1135 Russian military instructors in Central Africa.

According to the Russian Satellite News Agency reported on January 20, Bikantov said on the same day that the first batch of Russian military instructors arrived in Central Africa on January 26, 2018, and as of now, there are 1135 Russian military instructors in Central Africa. He recalled that the number of Russian military instructors began to increase from the end of 2020. At that time, there were attacks on Bangui by rioters and foreign mercenaries in Central Africa with the aim of undermining the country's presidential elections and stability. At one point, the militants approached the city of Bo'ali (70 kilometers from the capital Bangui), for which the President of Central Africa asked the Russian side for increased support.

Western countries have long accused Russia of expanding its influence in Africa, especially in the military and security fields. In addition to overt military cooperation, the Wagner group, a mercenary group with a Russian background, has been strongly criticized by the West. On December 23 last year, 16 countries, including the United Kingdom, France and Canada, issued a joint statement condemning the "deployment" of the "Wagner" group in Mali and accusing the Russian government of providing material support behind its backs. France is recently withdrawing its troops from Mali, and its military presence has long been questioned and opposed by the local population. On January 14 this year, there were street protests in Mali, and thousands of Malian citizens protested in various cities of the country to oppose the tough sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States on Mali with the support of France and the European Union. Many of the demonstrators shouted pro-Russian slogans and held up the Russian flag to show their support for Russia.

According to previous reports, the "Wagner" group is a private military entity in Russia. On December 13 last year, the European Council announced that it would impose sanctions on the Wagner Group, including freezing assets on the Wagner Group and eight and three entities associated with it, and prohibiting listed individuals from entering the European Union. According to the European Council, Wagner's recruitment and training of military personnel and their dispatch to multiple conflict zones around the world, including the Donbass region of Ukraine, Libya, Syria and the Central African Republic, pose a threat to regional security. The Russian government denies any links to the Wagner Group.

Responsible editor: Wang Lunyu Photo editor: Hu Mengxi