Moscow to boost defense ties with troubled African state – Russian envoy

Alexander Bikantov was speaking after the UN Security Council lifted an arms embargo on the Central African Republic

Russia is planning to strengthen security cooperation with the Central African Republic (CAR) after the UN Security Council decided to lift a decade-long arms embargo on the troubled nation, RIA Novosti reported on Wednesday, citing Alexander Bikantov, Moscow’s ambassador to Bangui.

The UNSC imposed a weapons ban on the CAR in 2013 in response to violent clashes that resulted from the overthrow of former president Francois Bozize by predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels. The coup sparked reprisals from largely Christian militia groups, resulting in a civil war that has killed and displaced thousands of people in one of the world’s poorest nations.

On Tuesday, the 15-member council unanimously removed the embargo on CAR forces while extending a sanctions regime against armed groups operating in the war-torn African nation until the end of July 2025.

“The Russian side clearly assesses the lifting of the unfair arms embargo against the CAR as a major event in the life of the friendly Central African people,” Ambassador Bikantov told RIA Novosti.

The diplomat believes the decision will have a long-term “positive impact on strengthening the security and sovereignty of the CAR.”

According to Bikantov, Moscow continues to be Bangui’s primary military and military-technical partner. “We count on the continuation of fruitful cooperation in the interests of our states,” he said.

Russia has committed to continuing defense cooperation with the CAR in the fight against rebel uprisings. In 2018, Moscow signed a military agreement with Bangui, authorizing Russian instructors to train the former French colony’s troops.

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Earlier this year, Ambassador Bikantov stated that the CAR had around 1,890 Russian military specialists of various profiles serving as trainers, but the country’s authorities have requested that this number be increased. In March, he said plans were underway to build a Russian military base in the African nation.

The landlocked state, home to around six million people, has endured decades of militant violence and political insecurity, including six coups, since gaining independence from France in 1960.