Several troops from Russia’s Wagner private military company have arrived in Central African Republic, CAR, to help establish a constitutional referendum on July 30. If this referendum pulls through, the president could prolong his tenure, according to the presidency on Monday, July 17.
Recall that hundreds of Wagner troops had left CAR days after a brief mutiny had been staged by Yevgeny Prigozhin, –the group’s founder– in Russia.
This mutiny had led to questions about the future of Wagner’s military and commercial operations in countries including CAR.
The Russian government has however, remarked that the troops’ movement were a part of the rotation of forces rather than a withdrawal.
A senior CAR military official have informed journalists that about hundreds of Wagner troops have arrived in the country.
The Central African Republic boasts of about 5.5 million citizens, and it has been struggling to find stability since its independence in 1960, despite being rich in gold, diamonds, and timber.
President Faustin-Archange Touadera, who was initially elected in 2016, and won a reelection in 2020, had beseeched Russia to aid in tackling the rebel groups in the country.
Russia had agreed and sent over security contractors to the republic in 2018. Since then, it has ramped up its support with over 1,500 troops – instructors and soldiers included– fighting alongside the country’s army.
Some of these troops make up Touadera’s security detail, and are usually seen with him.
Presently, Touadera is on a campaign trail seeking for a referendum, so he can remove the limit in the number of times he can run for office in the country.
