The newly re-elected president of the Central African Republic (CAR), Faustin-Archange Touadéra, has formally invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit the country, underlining the increasingly close political, military and economic relationship between Bangui and Moscow.
The invitation was confirmed on Wednesday by Africanews, following Touadéra’s recent re-election and comes at a time when Russia has consolidated its position as one of CAR’s most influential international partners. While no date has been announced for the proposed visit, the move signals Bangui’s intent to further strengthen ties with the Kremlin despite growing international scrutiny of Russia’s role in Africa.
Russia has emerged as a key ally of Touadéra since 2018, when Moscow began providing military assistance to the CAR government under bilateral agreements approved by the United Nations. Russian support has included weapons supplies, military trainers and security personnel, which the Touadéra administration credits with helping to push back armed rebel groups that have destabilised the country for more than a decade.
Touadéra’s government has repeatedly praised Russia for what it describes as “effective and decisive” security cooperation, especially during critical periods such as the 2020–2021 post-election violence, when rebel coalitions attempted to disrupt elections and advance toward the capital, Bangui. With the backing of Russian instructors and allied forces, the government managed to regain control of key towns and supply routes.
The invitation to Putin also reflects CAR’s broader foreign policy pivot away from traditional Western partners toward non-Western allies. In recent years, relations between Bangui and France, the former colonial power, have sharply deteriorated, culminating in the withdrawal of French troops and the suspension of several cooperation programmes. Touadéra’s administration has accused Paris of interference and failing to adequately support the country’s security needs, claims France has rejected.
Russia, by contrast, has expanded its footprint beyond security into mining, energy and political cooperation. Russian-linked companies are active in CAR’s gold and diamond sectors, industries that are central to the country’s fragile economy. Moscow has also backed Bangui diplomatically at the United Nations, including on issues related to arms embargo exemptions and sanctions relief.
Touadéra’s re-election has further consolidated his authority, allowing him to pursue long-term partnerships with allies such as Russia. Constitutional changes approved in 2023 removed presidential term limits, enabling him to seek and secure another mandate. Opposition groups and civil society organisations have criticised the reforms, warning they weaken democratic checks and balances, but the government insists they are necessary for stability.
A potential visit by Putin would be highly symbolic. It would mark one of the rare trips by the Russian leader to sub-Saharan Africa and would underline Moscow’s ambition to project influence on the continent at a time when it faces isolation from much of the West over the war in Ukraine. African countries such as the Central African Republic have become central to Russia’s strategy of building partnerships based on security cooperation, resource access and political alignment.
International observers are watching closely. Human rights groups and Western governments have raised concerns about Russia’s role in CAR, including allegations of abuses by Russian-linked security personnel, accusations both Bangui and Moscow deny. Despite these concerns, Touadéra has remained firm in defending the partnership, arguing that Russia has helped restore a degree of stability in a country long plagued by conflict.
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