(Ecofin Agency) - The mercenaries of the private military company Wagner are present in the Central African Republic since 2018. Bangui is now keen to host a Russian military base capable of housing between 5,000 and 10,000 troops.

Central African Republic is ready to host a Russian military base capable of housing up to 10,000 soldiers. This was revealed by the CAR’s ambassador to Russia,  Léon Dodonu-Punagaza, in an interview published, Monday, May 29, by Russian daily Izvestia.

The Central African Republic is "the first African country to resist the French. We now need a Russian military base, with 5,000 to 10,000 Russian troops so that if necessary, they can serve in other countries,” he said. 

The diplomat also praised the role of Russian military instructors in "significantly strengthening the capabilities of the Central African army", while stressing the importance of continued military-technical cooperation between Moscow and Bangui to address the persistent security challenges in the region.

"Some countries are not satisfied with this development. We've seen this with the example of France, which was extremely outraged by Russia's recent deliveries of 6 military aircraft. But that's their business because our cooperation with the Russians will continue," he added.  

Mr. Dodonu-Punagaza also indicated that the Central African Republic was "seriously preparing" for the second Russia-Africa Summit, to be held in St. Petersburg in July, with the attendance of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra.

"I can confirm that the president will be present. As for the issues to be discussed at the summit, they are essentially related to security and economic [development]," he indicated.

Mercenaries from the Russian paramilitary group Wagner are present in Bangui since 2018, helping train the army and fight rebels. This occurs in a context where Russia is trying to gain more influence in Africa. For years now, the country has tried to set up military bases on the continent. 

In 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Sudanese counterpart, Omar El-Bashir, signed an agreement to build a naval base in Port-Soudan, the country's main port. This base was to accommodate 300 troops and up to four warships. The project was put on hold after Omar El-Bashir was ousted from power. It has not evolved to date, with Sudan drawing closer to Western countries and benefiting from U.S. assistance.