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 TV channel “Russia 1” on the air of the program “Vesti”.
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 have been 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 source.
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 do not have the right to participate in hostilities with the CAR army. According to him, they are exclusively engaged in the training of fighters.
Earlier on December 28, Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia 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, Russian Foreign Ministry reported that an additional 300 military instructors have been sent to the Central African Republic to train the soldiers of the republic’s national army.
On December 21, the representative of the CAR government, Anj Maxim Kazagi, said 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. The Russian Ambassador to the CAR Vladimir Titorenko said that of the Russian military in the country only five employees of the representative office Ministry of Defense of Russia , 14 officers in the peacekeeping mission UN – MINURCA and instructors who train the army.
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 rebel movement in the CAR was caused by the presidential and parliamentary elections that took place 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 is considered the leader of the militants Francois Bozize