The Central African Republic (CAR) is one of Russia’s first supporters on the African continent.
The director of a Russian cultural center in the Central African Republic wasseriouslyWounded Friday in a parcel bomb attack in Bangui, said the Russian embassy in this country at the heart of Moscow’s influence strategy in Africa.
“The head of the Russian House (a cultural center, editor’s note) received an anonymous package on Friday, December 16, opened it and an explosion occurred“, indicated the press service of the Russian embassy, quoted by the official news agency TASS, specifying that this official, Dmitry Syty, was hospitalized with “serious injuries“.
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Wagner chief blames France
The leader of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner accused France of committing the attack, while the Central African Republic hosts Wagner fighters. “I have already contacted the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to initiate a procedure to declare France as a state sponsor of terrorism“, affirmed Evguéni Prigojine, quoted by his press service.
According to him, Dmitri Syty, before he lost consciousness, had read a note accompanying the package which read “It’s for you, on behalf of all the French, the Russians will leave Africa.Wagner’s leader, who for years denied leading the group before recently acknowledging it, provided no proof of the memo and AFP was unable to confirm the contents of these statements. He also assured that Dmitri Syty had also received threats in November targeting his son who lives in France.
This attack aims toharmto the development of relations between the two countries, also accused the Russian Foreign Ministry. “We strongly condemn this criminal act which aims (…) to harm the development of friendly relations between our two countries.“, he said in a press release, without however designating a presumed sponsor.
“Not to show fear in the face of terrorists”
At midday, the busy area of the Russian Cultural Center, located in downtown Bangui, near the French and Russian embassies, was quiet, AFP journalists noted. No police force was in place around the site and traffic was normal.
A Russian deputy foreign minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, said the Russian cultural center would remain open despite the attack. An AFP journalist was able to see people coming and going safely inside the site at midday. “We must not show fear in the face of terrorists, they are just waiting for this“, affirmed Mikhail Bogdanov, while calling to strengthen the security of the Russian diplomatic mission in the Central African Republic.
The Central African Republic, a country in civil war since 2013, is at the heart of the Russian influence strategy in Africa. The growing role of Wagner has also led France, a former colonial power, to withdraw its last soldiers from the country on Thursday. France regularly accuses Russian paramilitaries of committing abuses against civilians and of having established a regime of “predation» the resources of the Central African Republic.