The newly re-elected president of the Central African Republic (CAR), Faustin-Archange Touadera, has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit, according to Russian state news agency TASS. Touadera, who has been in power since 2016, won a third term in the presidential election held on December 28, securing an outright majority in provisional results announced this week.
Russia has become a key ally of CAR in recent years. In 2018, CAR became the first West and Central African nation to bring in Wagner Group mercenaries to support its government against multiple rebel factions in the chronically unstable country.
Why It Matters
Touadera’s victory and invitation to Putin are likely to cement Russia’s influence in CAR, which includes strategic interests in gold and diamond mining. The presence of Russian mercenaries has already strengthened the central government’s ability to maintain security, and continued ties could further tilt CAR toward Moscow at the expense of Western influence in the region.
Key actors include Touadera’s government, the Russian state and Wagner Group, and CAR’s population, which has long endured instability and rebel violence. Western nations and regional African powers may also monitor developments closely, as Russia’s growing presence affects the balance of power in Central Africa.
What’s Next
Observers will be watching whether Putin accepts the invitation and what agreements or military, mining, or economic deals might follow. CAR’s upcoming policy moves and continued reliance on Wagner forces could further entrench Russia’s footprint in the region, while shaping both local governance and resource access for years to come.
With information from Reuters.