Ex-French colony may host Russian military base – ambassador

While the move may cause discontent in some countries, it is not the Central African Republic's concern, according to Ambassador Leon Dodonu-Punagaza
Ex-French colony may host Russian military base – ambassador
Leon Dodonu-Punagaza © Sputnik / Alexey Nikolsky
The Ambassador of the Central African Republic (CAR) to Russia, Leon Dodonu-Punagaza, has said his country is interested in having a Russian military base on its territory that could accommodate between 5,000 and 10,000 soldiers.

"Our country is the first country in Africa that resisted the French," he said in an interview published by Izvestia on Monday, adding that a Russian military base would help reinforce CAR, where long-stading security threats have worsened due to the inflow of refugees from war-torn Sudan.

The ambassador praised the role of Russian military instructors in strengthening his nation’s armed forces and emphasized the importance of continuing military-technical cooperation, despite the opposition of some countries.

"In recent weeks, when Russia delivered six military aircraft to us, it was the French who began to resent it, yelling and yelling. But this is not our business; we are interested in cooperation with Russia," Dodonu-Punagaza noted.

In December last year, the last 130 French soldiers of the logistical mission MISLOG-B left the capital Bangui as a result of tensions with France over the growing Russian military presence......More Below

https://www.rt.com/africa/577079-central-african-republic-russia-military-base/