June 9 (EUROPA PRESS) –
At least four soldiers from the Central African Republic (RCA) died on Thursday in an ambush carried out in the town of Markounda, located in the province of Ouham (northwest), in the midst of fighting between the Army and the rebel Patriots for Change Coalition ( CPC).
According to information collected by the Central African news portal Corbeau News, a military patrol that was accompanied by alleged members of the Wagner Group fell into an ambush in Markounda, which led to clashes that also left seven injured, including several in Serious condition.
The RCA authorities have not yet ruled on the incident, something that the Wagner Group has not done either. Central African President Faustin-Archange Touadéra has repeatedly defended cooperation with Moscow, saying that the Russians deployed in the country are advisers, not members of the mercenary group.
The African country has been plunged into a crisis as a result of the elimination of the candidacy of former President François Bozizé, who returned to the country at the end of 2019 to once again be a candidate for the Presidency, a position he abandoned in 2014 due to the lifting of the Séléka rebels, predominantly Muslim.
Russia is trying to strengthen its presence in Africa and the Wagner Group has sent mercenaries to several African countries in recent years – including Libya and Mali – which has caused suspicion among several Western countries, especially the United States and France, for Moscow’s involvement in various conflicts on the continent.
