Category: Governance

BANGUI, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC — As much of the world denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine Thursday, the Central African Republic’s capital, Bangui, hosted a tribute to Russian paramilitaries who helped beat back rebels a year ago.

In Bangui’s city center, a human-sized statue erected last year depicts Central African and Russian security forces protecting a woman and her child.

As Western countries tried in vain Wednesday to prevent Russian military aggression against Ukraine, about 100 Central Africans gathered at the monument holding Russian flags.

The group was paying tribute to Russian mercenaries who helped defend the capital, Bangui, last year against rebels.

Blaise-Didacien Kossimatchi organized the ceremony. He heads the “National Galaxy” platform, a Central African group close to the government that often holds protests against France and the United Nations.

He says they say no to everything that is a smear campaign against our army and our Russians, especially by the international press who qualify the Russians as mercenaries.. Kossimatchi adds, “no, the Russians are not here to make exactions – the Russians did nothing!”

By exactions, Kossimatchi means crimes such as rapes and killings. U.N. experts accuse Russian mercenaries of abusing civilians in the CAR. and several other countries.

Several of those celebrating the anniversary wore T-shirts that read “I am Wagner,” a reference to the Wagner Group, the shadowy Russian network that supplied the mercenaries.

Analysts say Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ally, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is behind the Wagner Group.

Wagner’s fighters provide security for CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadéra and have been spotted from Syria to Libya and from Mozambique to Mali.

Yefi Kezza, a member of the ruling United Hearts Movement party, says they’re changing history. You see what is happening in Mali, says Kezza. This is a strong message that I’m sending to the French Embassy today, he says. It is time to cooperate with President Touadera and to try and liberate the country together, says Kezza. We’re grateful to the Russians. We are here today, he says, and we have invited the Russians to join us to thank them along with our national army.

No Russians attended the celebration in Bangui, but one Central African army commander was in the crowd.

One man held a sign that read, “Russia will Save the Donbas from War,” referring to the area in southeast Ukraine that Russia declared independent this week before launching its invasion.

A CAR government spokesman declined to comment on the celebration.

Source: Voice of America

Sudan renewed calls for a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GRED) to ensure its benefit for the whole region.

Sudan’s negotiations team on the GERD issued a statement on Monday two days after the inauguration of power generation from the GERD by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Sunday.

“Sudan affirms its firm position in the dossier of GERD, which is the need to reach a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam,” reads a statement released on Monday.

The statement stressed that Sudan’s position is based on the reference of the international law and the Declaration of Principles signed by the three countries in March 2015.

During the past two years, Sudan insisted on the need for a deal on the filing and operation to protect its dams that are located not far from the GERDon the Blue Nile.

Ethiopia had proposed a bilateral agreement as the issue is about technical coordination between the two sides but Khartoum said it should be part of a comprehensive pact settling Egypt’s concern about water shares.

The statement referred to a tweet by Prime Minister Ahmed last January saying that the GERD is a good example of cooperation for the benefit of all the peoples of the riparian countries and called to take concrete steps to make it a reality.

The negotiating team further stressed that starting the operation of electricity generation turbines is incompatible with the spirit of cooperation and constitute a fundamental breach of legal obligations.

“Ethiopia, thus contradicts what was agreed upon between the three countries in the Declaration of Principles”.

The statement underscored the need for agreement taking into account the interests of the three parties and called on the new chairperson of the African Union to strengthen the role of the regional organisation in the resolution of the dispute.

Ethiopia needs to continue the filling of the reservoir of the hydropower dam for several years before reaching its full capacity.

Source: Sudan Tribune

Sudan’s Deputy Head of the Sovereign Council and Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) will travel to Moscow for talks on bilateral relations with Russian senior officials in the coming days.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ambassador Khalid Farah on Sunday confirmed to the Sudan Tribune that Mohamed Hamdan Daglo Hemmetti received an invitation to visit Russia.

Asharq TV news channel reported on Saturday that Hemetti” will visit the Russian capital, at the end of this week, for meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

“The upcoming visit comes as part of the two countries’ efforts to strengthen bilateral relations in all fields through communication and exchange of visits between officials at the highest levels to confirm the common will to advance relations,” Farah said.

After underscoring the “distinguished relations” between the two countries, the Sudanese diplomat pointed out that Moscow helped Khartoum in international forums.

“Russia takes into account Sudan’s importance and strategic role in the region,” he said.

After the October 25, 2022 coup, Russia appeared more supportive of the military junta and sought to prevent resolutions that may harm them.

Russia, which wants to establish a navy base in eastern Sudan on the Red Sea, declined to condemn the coup. While Lavrov pointed an accusing finger at the intervention of Western powers in Sudan’s politics.

Also, the RSF leader is developing parallel ties with Russia’s private militia Wagner Group which is seen as a destabilising element in Africa.

However, Farah was keen to say that strengthening relations with Russia would not be at the expense of Sudan’s relations with any other party.

He further stressed that Sudan is keen to build balanced foreign relations “away from polarization”.

Source: Sudan Tribune