The President of the Central African Republic (CAR), Mr. Faustin-Archange Touadéra, has listed the merits of having Russian military specialists in the country.

These include, among other things, the destruction of rebel bases by the Central African armed forces (FACA) and Russian allies, the resumption of the opening of the Chad-CAR border, the training of the Azande militia by Russian instructors, protests by the population against certain contingents of the MINUSCA, as well as the organization of local elections.

Speaking through his Press Secretary, Mr. Albert Yaloké Mokpème, at a press conference on Saturday, May 25, 2024, President Touadéra noted that due to the increasing capacity and power of the FACA, several rebel bases were recently destroyed with the support of Russian instructors.

During these operations, many rebel logistics items were seized, and the bandits were arrested and taken to Bangui for trial. The CAR, with the support of neighboring countries, has also strengthened its intelligence system to intercept rebel communications.

The President of the Republic also stressed the important role played by Russian military specialists in holding historic talks on May 22 between representatives of the Chadian and Central African authorities in Sido. These negotiations contributed to the opening of the border between the two countries, to the delight of the population.

As President Touadéra noted, it was the Russian allies who made it clear that from now on, the borders will no longer be used to destabilize the CAR. He said the partnership of the Central African Republic with the Russian Federation strengthens the position of the African country.

Mr. Touadéra also noted the merits of Russian instructors in the training of the Azande militia. He recalled that the Azande militias are self-defense units that have taken up arms to protect civilians from UPC rebels. That is why the government and Russian partners considered it advisable to start training the militias and include them in the ranks of the FACA to deploy them in populated areas to protect the national territory.

Still speaking on behalf of the President, Mr. Mokpème emphasized that, in the opinion of every resident of the Central African Republic, MINUSCA (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic) came to fight the rebels and push back against armed groups.

On the forthcoming general elections scheduled for October 2024, President Touadéra called on the citizens to ignore the divisive message of the opposition and come to the polls to elect their representatives.