Russian instructors have been training the military in the Central African Republic (CAR) for several months. The details of their work were revealed by the Russia 1 TV channel on the air of the Vesti program.
As the junior lieutenant of the special forces of the presidential guard of the CAR, Julien Rafai, explained in an interview, Russian specialists have been training fighters in the republic for nine months. “I am the commander of the Alpha section, I was trained by Russian instructors for nine months, taught the tactics of special forces, thanks to this we are ready to answer any calls,” said the channel's interlocutor.
Also, “Russia 1” broadcast on the air the conversation of journalists directly with two of the instructors, who said that with their support, the country had already managed to liberate five or six villages without any losses among the civilian population. At the same time, another Russian instructor stressed that military advisers allegedly have no right to participate in hostilities along with the CAR army. According to him, they are exclusively engaged in the training of fighters.
Earlier on December 28, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin explained the supply of Russian armored vehicles to the CAR. According to him, the equipment was supplied to the African country for the needs of the security forces, as well as for use in the reform of this sector. Prior to this, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that an additional 300 military instructors were sent to the Central African Republic to train servicemen of the republic's national army.
On December 21, CAR government spokesman Anj Maxim Kazagi announced that Russia had transferred several hundred troops and heavy weapons to the country. Moscow has neither confirmed nor denied information about the transfer of soldiers. Russian Ambassador to the CAR, Vladimir Titorenko, said that of the Russian military, only five employees of the Russian Ministry of Defense, 14 officers in the UN peacekeeping mission – MINURCA and instructors who train the army are in the country.
At the same time, information appeared that fighters from one of the Russian private military companies began to work in the CAR – they were noticed 130 kilometers north-west of the republic's capital, Bangui, along with mercenaries from Rwanda and representatives of the CAR Armed Forces (FACA).
The revival of the insurgency in the CAR was triggered by the presidential and parliamentary elections held on December 27. It was clarified that three armed rebel groups have united in the anti-government “Coalition of Patriots for Change” in order to prevent President Faustin-Archange Touadere from being re-elected for a second term. The former president of the country, François Bozizet, is considered the leader of the militants. The government accuses him of attempting a coup. It was noted that the members of the coalition intend to cut the main supply routes to the capital of the CAR and block it.
