The leaders of Russia and the Central African Republic discussed security cooperation in a phone call on Wednesday, the Kremlin said.
Russia has close ties with the Central African Republic (CAR), one of the world’s poorest countries, which has been plagued by civil war for the last decade.
Russia has deployed hundreds of military “instructors” to the former French colony and has trained thousands of local troops since 2018.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his CAR counterpart Faustin-Archange Touadera discussed “countering the terrorist threat and ensuring stability throughout the entire territory of the Central African Republic”, the Kremlin said.
“The Russian side confirmed its readiness to continue assisting the CAR in strengthening its national economy, sovereignty and the country’s security,” it added.
The West has criticised Russia’s military activity across the African continent
Britain this month sanctioned three militia groups “with links to the Kremlin”, including the Wagner successor Africa Corps for what it called “widespread human rights abuses”.
London accused Russia of attempting to “exploit the fragile security environments and natural resources … for its gain and (to) expand the Kremlin’s sphere of influence”.
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