The President of Russia is attempting to assure Touadera of the Kremlin's military support after Russia was unable to prevent the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, where the Wagner Group also participated in the fighting.
According to the British publication The Times, Touadera, who traveled to Moscow for talks with Putin, has received support from Wagner mercenaries since 2018, when they arrived in the CAR to help stabilize the president's power in exchange for control over gold and diamond resources.
Thanks to Wagner's assistance, Touadera was able to hold a referendum in 2023 that lifted term limits on presidential powers. The support from Wagner has helped Touadera remain in power, even amidst active hostilities and the control of most of the country by rebel forces. Nonetheless, there are concerns that the recent successes of the rebels in Syria may prompt Touadera to seek alternative security guarantees.
"I think the Russians feel that he may waver, and therefore they want to bolster his authority. The United States has not abandoned the idea of competing for influence in the Central African Republic," notes analyst Samuel Ramani.
During his meeting with Putin, Touadera referred to the Russian mercenaries as "instructors," emphasizing their contribution to transforming the CAR army into a formidable force against terrorists.
Source: thetimes.