Russian Instructors Contributed To Regaining Control Over CAR By Government - Diplomat

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2022) Russian instructors, who are in the Central African Republic (CAR) upon notice of the UN Security Council and the sanctions committee, have contributed to the car government troops managing to regain control over the country, new Russian Ambassador Alexander Bikantov to the CAR said in an interview with Sputnik.

"The fact that the CAR government troops managed to regain control over the territory of the republic, which had been terrorized by armed groups for a long time, is a great achievement, and this is the merit of Russian instructors," Bikantov said, adding that now, the trained CAR army is able to repel any external threat.

To date, the total number of Russian instructors in the CAR amounts to1,135, the ambassador said.

The first Russian instructors arrived in the CAR on January 26, 2018.

On December 17, 2020, an offensive by bandits and foreign mercenaries against the capital of Bangui began in the CAR to disrupt the presidential election. When the militants approached the city of Boali near the capital, the CAR authorities turned to Russia with a request to strengthen support, the ambassador said.

Moscow has repeatedly denied allegations of Russia's military presence in various African countries. The Russian ambassador in Bangui has stated that there are Russian instructors in the Central African Republic who are training military personnel of the government army and are in the country with the notification of the UN Security Council and the sanctions committee. According to the diplomat, it is incorrect to call these people mercenaries, as they do not participate in clashes.