The announcement of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra’s participation in the forum dubbed “Anti-Neocolonialism Advocates” in Moscow came not from the Central African presidency, but from the Russian ambassador in Bangui. The ambassador announced on Sunday at the MPoko airport tarmac.
Little information has been made public about this forum aside from its exclamatory theme “For the Freedom of Nations!” According to Russian communication channels, around 60 foreign delegations have been invited to express their grievances against the West and international organizations. However, as of last night, no list of participants was available.
Unlike the Saint Petersburg summit in July 2023, President Touadéra will not meet with Vladimir Putin due to the latter’s “very busy” schedule, as reported by the TASS news agency. However, he is scheduled to meet with Vice President Dmitry Medvedev, who leads the party.
This visit occurs amidst ongoing Russian initiatives in Bangui, where a widespread anti-American campaign has been underway for months, coinciding with the installation of the private security firm Bancroft. Demonstrations have been organized, and since October, about a dozen Americans have been barred from entering the Central African Republic.
In early January, according to Africa Intelligence, an employee of Bancroft and a presidential advisor were reportedly detained and interrogated for several hours by the police and Wagner Group personnel, until the direct intervention of the head of state.
President Faustin-Archange Touadéra is in the midst of a diplomatic journey. He departed from Bangui on Sunday, February 11th, making his first stop in Dubai to attend the Governance Forum, an annual event organized by the United Arab Emirates. There, he held private meetings with his counterparts from Kenya and Rwanda. This weekend, he will be in Addis Ababa for the African Union summit.