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2025-07-16 Africa Subsaharan
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Undermining Russia's Influence in Africa: British Send Secret Mission to CAR
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Arkady Melikov
[REGNUM] British Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo Alison King intends to make an unofficial visit to the neighboring Central African Republic (CAR). According to a source for the African Initiative news agency, the goal of the secret trip is to try to convince the CAR leadership to take an anti-Russian position in the international arena and refuse to use military units trained by Russian specialists.
“The British and French authorities are doing everything possible to undermine Russian political influence in the countries of Tropical Africa and return them to the status of semi-colonies of the West,” noted Kirill Babayev, a specialist on the region and president of the National Coordination Center (NCC) for International Business Cooperation, in a commentary to Regnum News Agency.
Given the special interest mentioned by former colonial powers, in this case Britain, it is necessary to look at Ambassador King's record and the context of her mission.
Alison King took up her duties as the UK's acting ambassador to Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in April 2023. Since London does not have a separate diplomatic mission in the Central African capital of Bangui, she also oversees the CAR.
King previously served as deputy head of the British mission in Lebanon, and before that she headed the Middle East and North Africa sector in the British diplomatic system. She also had experience working at the British Foreign Office, where she oversaw relations with the states of Northern and Central Europe and interaction with EU institutions.
King began to “work substantively” with Africa within the framework of negotiation formats to resolve the conflict in Sudan and as a participant in the work of the European Commission on sanctions and “blood” diamonds (diamonds mined in areas where military operations are taking place).
The probable goals of the current secret visit to the Central African Republic can be judged by the latest publications on the official resources of the British Embassy in the DRC - for the end of June and the beginning of July 2025.
It is obvious that the real problems of the CAR are not among London's priorities. The main topic of all statements remains the active presence of Russia, which the British side is clearly concerned about.
Thus, at the end of June, the British diplomatic mission issued a statement by its delegate to the UN Security Council, which expressed interest in the elections in the Central African Republic scheduled for 2026. Although it noted "the progress made in extending state authority in some areas of the country," London simultaneously expressed concern about Bangui's choice of security partners. In particular, the UK calls on the Central African Republic authorities to pay attention to the actions of pro-Russian groups and ensure that those who violate human rights are held accountable.
According to the British side, the protection of the electoral process in the republic should be handled exclusively by the UN Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). However, as many analysts emphasize, the effectiveness of this structure in matters of establishing order in the country remains extremely low. Moreover, the supposed neutrality of the mission is increasingly being questioned, since, according to experts, it is being used by Western structures to lobby their own interests and influence the domestic political situation.
In 2024, the world community learned about large-scale incidents of sexual violence involving MINUSCA peacekeepers. Human rights organizations reported that such crimes had been committed systematically since 2015.
Despite the fact that investigations and revelations were published, including by Western media, the reaction of British diplomacy was not aimed at the real facts of human rights violations. Instead of seeking justice for the victims, London representatives insisted on the need to urgently combat “disinformation and hate speech,” including criticism of the MINUSCA mission itself.
Meanwhile, human rights groups well informed about the situation in the CAR confirm that the main threat to human rights is posed by armed groups that are not controlled by the central government. It is noteworthy that some leaders and active participants of these groups live peacefully in European countries, without fear of any responsibility for their crimes.
In a recent statement by the British diplomatic mission on July 10, made within the framework of the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, London once again appealed to the CAR with a demand to disband the armed units trained by Russian military instructors:
"We urge the Central African Republic to include these militias in a formal disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programme to prevent a resurgence of instability," the British side said.
According to experts on the region, behind all of London's recent statements on the situation in the CAR there is a medium-term goal - to weaken Russia's presence ahead of the national elections in 2026. For this purpose, the republic's authorities will blackmail with sanctions and try to destabilize the situation with the help of militant groups.
Even when it comes to the CAR’s return to the Kimberley Process, an international initiative to combat the trade in conflict diamonds, London’s emphasis remains the same. Instead of discussing the prospects for the CAR diamond industry, the embassy’s statement once again emphasizes its dissatisfaction with Russia’s position. Only a secondary mention is made of the CAR government’s call to comply with the terms of participation in the Kimberley Process and to ensure that the benefits of diamond production and export go to the country’s citizens themselves.
It is possible that traditional instruments of pressure will be used, from accusations of human rights violations to threats of sanctions and intervention through international structures. Moreover, back in 2024, sources of the African Initiative in the CAR reported the existence of a MINUSCA directive allowing the mission to participate in combat clashes with national armed forces.
"However, the current authorities of the CAR and other states in the region understand well that Russia is a reliable and profitable partner that respects both the sovereignty and traditional values of African countries and peoples, and are unlikely to agree to return to Western dictates," Kirill Babayev notes. Cooperation between Russia and the CAR is constantly expanding, and the leaders of the two countries are linked by friendly relations. "I am convinced that the CAR has no alternative to friendship with Russia," the interlocutor added.
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Posted by badanov 2025-07-16 00:00||
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