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Militants may stage provocations in CAR ahead of elections — presidential advisor

Dmitry Podolsky added that Russian instructors, together with units of the Central African Armed Forces, were verifying information about the presence of militants in the border area

BANGUI /CAR/, December 10. /TASS/. Russian instructors have received information about small groups of militants amassing near the borders of the Central African Republic, who may stage provocations ahead of the elections, Dmitry Podolsky, call sign Salem, who serves as the security advisor to the country’s president, told TASS.

"We have alarming information from some regions. There is no enemy presence in the Central African Republic yet; the militants are in the border area. But there is information that they will try to do something. These are primarily groups subordinate to Noureddine Adam (head of the Popular Front for the Rebirth of the Central African Republic (FPRC) - TASS) and Francois Bozize (CAR president from 2003 to 2013 - TASS)," Salem said.

He added that Russian instructors, together with units of the Central African Armed Forces (FACA), were verifying information about the presence of militants in the border area.

The Central African Republic will hold a presidential election on December 28. It will be held in two rounds if no candidate receives 50% plus one vote in the first. The presidential term is seven years. Incumbent CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadera had won the presidential elections in 2016 and 2020. A new constitution adopted by referendum in the summer of 2023 granted him the right to run for another term. Parliamentary and local elections will be held in the Central African Republic along with the presidential election.

Russian instructors were providing assistance to the Central African Armed Forces during an attempted coup by the Coalition of Patriots for Change in the run-up to the December 2020 elections, repelling the militants' attacks. Russian instructors will also be ensuring security at the upcoming elections on December 28. "There have been drone attacks on our bases [where Russian instructors are located] with munitions drops. In some cases, militants are trained by foreign instructors, as well as by those taking part in combat operations—for example, in Sudan. The UAV threat currently persists, especially in the border areas with Sudan and Chad," Podolsky said earlier.

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