Hundreds Of Russia’s Wagner Fighters Arrive Central African Republic

A messaging app linked to the Russian Security Firm, Wagner, has said on Sunday that hundreds of its fighters have arrived in the Central African Republic (CAR).

At least a thousand of the mercenaries have been based there since 2018.

There’s been uncertainty over the future of Wagner following its short-lived mutiny in June.

Recent reports say about 600 mercenaries have left Russia.

A company linked to the Wagner group said the new arrivals would help provide security during a referendum in the car later this month, which will determine whether president faustin-archange troubadour can seek a third term in office.

Russian instructors will continue to help soldiers from the Central African armed forces and CAR law enforcement agencies provide security, in anticipation of the constitutional referendum scheduled for July 30,” the statement said.

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Along with this release, COSI released a photo showing at least 30 people masked in military fatigues, standing in line on what appears to be an airport runway. According to the United States, COSI is a front company for the Wagner group in the Central African Republic. It is led by a Russian, Alexander Ivanov, under US sanctions since January.

In its press release published on Sunday, the COSI assures that its instructors have been training for “more than five years” the Central African security forces and have thus made it possible “to strengthen the country’s general level of security”.

At the beginning of July, several foreign sources had claimed that an unknown number of Wagner mercenaries were leaving the Central African Republic, information firmly denied by the government.

The status of the private paramilitary company and the continuation of its operations have been uncertain since its aborted mutiny in Russia on June 23-24.