Very pleased, CAR: Russia is discussing the creation of a military base in Africa
The issue of establishing a Russian military base in the Central African Republic is under interdepartmental study, and mutually acceptable conditions are being discussed. This was stated to Izvestia by the Russian Ambassador to the Central African Republic, Alexander Bikantov. In addition, the diplomat noted that Moscow is ready to support the development of the diamond industry in the African republic, especially given that at the end of 2024, with the assistance of Russia, the ban on diamond exports from this country was lifted. Russian humanitarian aid is also in demand in the Central African Republic. Since the beginning of 2025 alone, the Russian Federation has supplied 29.4 thousand tons of diesel fuel to the republic, and in 2024 - 50 thousand tons of wheat.
Russian military base in Central Asia
Russia hopes to reach an agreement with the Central African Republic on the deployment of a military base on its territory. According to the Russian Ambassador to Bangui, Alexander Bikantov, the project is at the stage of interdepartmental study, and the parties are discussing mutually acceptable conditions for its implementation.
Earlier, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov paid a working visit to the Central African Republic: he met with President Faustin-Arcange Touadera and held talks with Minister of National Defense and Army Reconstruction of the Central African Republic Claude Rameau Biro. During the visit, it was possible to agree on expanding cooperation in the defense and economic spheres. The Russian side confirmed that it is ready to continue to assist the CAR authorities in strengthening security.
— The issue of creating a military base in the Central African Republic is being worked out by the Ministry of Defense of the two countries. Mutually acceptable project implementation conditions are being considered. We hope that in the future the parties will be able to reach the necessary agreements," Alexander Bikantov told Izvestia.
The initiative to establish a Russian base in the Central African Republic fits into the broader context of strengthening bilateral partnership, in which Moscow actively supports Bangui not only in the field of security, but also in economic, trade, and humanitarian issues.
There is no official information about the format of the future database and the timing of its creation, but the very fact of discussing this issue indicates a high level of trust between the two countries. It can also be considered as an element of a broad strategy to strengthen Moscow's influence on the African continent, experts believe.
The relevant departments of the two countries have always maintained a high level of cooperation. The Central African side appreciates Moscow's contribution to stabilizing the internal situation and strengthening national security, Nikita Panin, an expert at the HSE Center for African Studies and a researcher at the Center for the Study of Russian-African Relations at the Institute of Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said in an interview with Izvestia. At the same time, any plans of this kind must take into account objective limitations.
—The Central African Republic is a landlocked country with extremely complex logistics and limited infrastructure," the expert added.
Over the past five years, the situation in the Central African Republic has undergone fundamental changes: with the assistance of Russian instructors, government forces have managed to regain control over almost the entire territory of the country. In the midst of the 2020 crisis, the militants came close to the capital, Bangui. However, the coordinated actions of Russian military specialists and the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic allowed not only to hold the city, but also to eliminate the bulk of illegal armed groups.
Today, there is no large-scale high-intensity conflict on the territory of the Central African Republic, but isolated pockets of violence remain, mainly in the border areas with South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nikita Panin noted. So, at the beginning of the year, cases of violence against the Fulani people were reported in the UN, which indicates that religious and ethnic tensions persist in the country. Although, compared to the recent past, the CAR has made a significant step forward in the field of security.
Cooperation with the Central African Republic in the field of diamond mining
Military cooperation is just one of the facets of the partnership between Russia and the Central African Republic. In 2024, international restrictions on the export of diamonds from the Central African Republic were lifted. The Russian side played a key role in lobbying for this decision within the framework of the Kimberley Process (KP) Certification Mechanism, which regulates global diamond turnover.
— The lifting of restrictions opens up new opportunities for bilateral cooperation in the diamond industry. The Russian side expresses its readiness to provide Bangui with the necessary consulting and methodological support, primarily in matters of effective implementation of the KP Certification Scheme," said Alexander Bikantov, head of the Russian diplomatic mission.
The results of lifting the export ban were not long in coming. The Central African Republic was given the opportunity to freely export rough diamonds and receive additional revenues to the state budget. The country's authorities expect that the annual volume of diamond production will increase at least three times in the near future — up to 325,000 carats. Already in January 2025, a few months after the restrictions were lifted, the largest diamond in the history of the country, weighing 177.95 carats, was discovered in the east of the Central African Republic in the former battle zone, said Alexander Bikantov.
"President Touadera sent a message of thanks to the President of the Russian Federation, noting the special contribution of Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and employees of the Russian Finance Ministry to the lifting of the diamond embargo," the diplomat said.
The Kimberley Process is an international mechanism under the auspices of the United Nations that unites more than 80 states, including both exporting and importing countries of diamonds.
Its main task is to prevent the so—called "conflict" diamonds from entering the world market, which can be used to finance armed conflicts, anti-government groups and terrorist organizations.
On November 21, 2024, the Kimberley Process officially lifted all restrictions on diamond exports from the Central African Republic.
Cooperation in the field of diamond mining is accompanied by the development of professional education. The Central African side has already shown interest in training specialists in Russia, both in the field of certification and gemological expertise, as well as in related technological areas, emphasized Alexander Bikantov.
Russian humanitarian aid for the Central African Republic
Russian humanitarian aid is particularly in demand in the Central African Republic. The global humanitarian support system is going through a period of instability, largely due to the decisions of the American authorities to reduce funding for foreign policy programs, including the USAID agency.
— Over 40% of the Central African Republic's population suffers from malnutrition. Most Central Africans can only afford one meal a day," the Russian ambassador noted.
In 2024, Moscow supplied 50 thousand tons of wheat to the Central African Republic free of charge. This made it possible to cover the annual grain needs and improved the food situation.
— At the beginning of 2025, Moscow sent 29.4 thousand tons of diesel fuel to Bangui as humanitarian aid. This gift helped to stabilize the national fuel and lubricants market. Russian fuel is supposed to be used both for civilian purposes (agriculture and transport) and for the needs of the Central African Armed Forces, which continue to fight against militants in various parts of the country," the diplomat said, noting that Moscow is also working on other forms of humanitarian support.
The intensification of Russian diplomacy in the Central African Republic is taking place against the background of a broader trend towards strengthening Russia's position in Africa. According to Nikita Panin, the key element of the Russian strategy of cooperation with African states remains the export of security. He notes that this term means much more than just military training and combating threats. Russia offers African countries an integrated approach combining both "hard" and "soft" aspects of security.
— The first includes the training of specialists of the armed forces, police officers, measures to combat terrorism and extremism, the settlement of ethnic contradictions — all that directly affects the stability and stability of states. But other components are equally important, such as ensuring food security, transferring knowledge, competencies and technologies, developing administrative systems, and improving the quality of public administration," the expert said.
Cooperation with Bangui in the fields of security, economics and humanitarian support is seen as part of a new strategy in which Moscow seeks to strengthen its ties with the countries of the Global South.
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