Washington proposes in Bangui to form his army and increase his humanitarian aid in exchange for the return of Russian paramilitaries from the Central African Republic.
by Cyril Bensimon
The proposal has the appearances of a fairly classic bargaining, the terms of which could be summed up as follows: “We have much more to offer you but first break with your current allies!” According to information from the world, the president Central African, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, was awarded mid-December 2022 by the American administration a memorandum exposing the benefits he would have to separate from the paramilitaries of the Wagner group and the consequences he would incur to maintain his alliance with them. Transmitted on the sidelines of the United States-Africa Summit, which was held in Washington from December 13 to 15, this offer would have been prepared by the National Security Council, an institution attached to the American presidency and intended for questions of foreign policy and national security.
If it is not a good and due form, the United States gives, according to our sources, a deadline of twelve months to the Central African head of state to distance himself from the mercenaries From Russia, which after the signing of an official agreement between the two countries began to deploy in early 2018. Now directed in Bangui by a former foreign legion, Vitali Perfilev, the men of Evgueni Prigojine have, after security Brought closer to President Touadéra and support to the Central African army, extended their activities to mining and forestry, securing convoys, customs control and even the production of vodka and “local” beer. A growing grip which is accompanied by multiple abuses reported by human rights organizations.
In its strategy “to obstruct the ability of Kremlin to arm and equip its war machine which is carrying out an unjustified war against Ukraine”, the US Treasury added several names to its list of personalities on January 26 and entities under financial sanctions: a former security advisor to the Central African presidency, Valery Zakharov; The head of the community of international security officers, Alexandre Ivanov; Sewa Security Services, “a company (…) controlled by the Wagner group, which ensures the protection of senior officials from the Central African government”; and Kratol Aviation which allows Wagner to “move staff and equipment between the RCA [Central African Republic], Libya and Mali”.
counterpart
But, if they now describe the group led by Evgueni Prigojine as “a large-scale transnational criminal organization”, the United States does not close the door to discussions with those who subscribe to its services. A notable difference with France which justified the departures of its soldiers and the cessation of its programs of assistance to the Central African Republic and Mali by the presence of Wagner’s paramilitaries in these countries.
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