Following his re-election for a third term, Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadéra has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit the country, a move signaling a further strengthening of their alliance.
Touadéra, who has been in power since 2016, praised Putin as a “great leader” in an interview with the Russian state news agency TASS.
Moscow has become a crucial partner for Touadéra, providing security assistance through Russian military instructors and the Wagner Group since 2018 to help combat rebel forces in the chronically unstable nation.
Touadéra’s victory in the December 28th election is expected to advance Russia’s strategic and economic interests in the country, particularly in the gold and diamond mining sectors.
