Presidents Touadéra and Putin Review Strategic Partnership, by Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

Central African Republic (CAR) delegation headed by Faustin-Archange Touadéra was in Moscow to discuss the status and development of bilateral relations with President Vladimir Putin. Russia and CAR reaffirmed their multifaceted strategic ties during this high-level meeting in the Kremlin held on Jan.16, the first Russian-African consultative interaction for 2025, which signifies Russia’s preparedness to foster consistent consolidation of relations with Africa. Perhaps by inviting CAR president, Kremlin will enhance its geopolitical influence beyond CAR, especially in the central and southern Africa.

Security Challenges

Russia-CAR relations have sustained admirable progress these several years, emphasis has been laid on speeding up security cooperation. Since 2017, Russia has identified, as the first and foremost, the engagement of security to fight against frequent treats from political rebels, growing terrorism and Islamist attacks, complicating the landscape for any sustainable development.

An agreement on military-technical cooperation with the Russian Federation includes supply of specified military weapons and equipment, training of personnel in Russia’s military institutions as well as building military base in the country in exchange of having complete access to natural resources. There are estimated 2,500 Russian instructors working there, according to local Russian media reports. The agreement stipulates more specific military needs within the defense cooperation in future.

Analysts, however, speculate that permanent Russian military base will be created in CAR. By the official decree for private military Wagner group, currently referred to as the African Corps, Russia has provided considerable support in maintaining relatively peace for the political administration of Faustin-Archange Touadéra. In the context of security cooperation, Moscow’s consistent efforts have brought stability to the country and its sovereignty. This has particularly become an example for the whole of Africa and is a source of inspiration for many countries in Africa and around the world.

Russia-Africa Summits

During the first (October 2019) and second summit (July 2023), Faustin-Archange Touadéra signed several agreements in the field of politics, security, trade and economy as well as humanitarian sphere. The Kremlin rekindled its highest commitment and renewed friendship with the delegation, highlighting practical understanding of outstanding matters for further review and negotiation. In other words, Moscow and Bangui, both intend to continue developing cooperation within the framework agreements that were previously signed.

Economic and Trade Cooperation

Records have indicated that bilateral trade volume grew eightfold in 2024. Statistics were not provided to support this claim of increasing trade volume, but a number of reports pointed to $5.9 million in 2021. That however, between 2022 and 2024, the trade turnover was estimated around $4 million. Russia imports mainly fruits, vegetables and related products, while the CAR imports Russian mineral oils and grain. Despite the low level of trade trasactions, Putin stressed the possibility for increasing trade within the legal framework of the existing bilateral economic cooperation. “Several documents have already been signed between various ministries and departments, and during your visit we also plan to sign several documents that will create a good, solid legal basis for our interaction,” the Russian President said.

For its part, Russia is drawn to opportunities in developing the CAR’s reserves of gold, oil, uranium, and diamonds. On the other side, CAR is particularly interested in Russian technologies and industrial goods, including manufactured vehicles. For ensuring food security, Russia plans to export its grains and other agricultural products there as significant aspects of the strategic priorities and prospects in the bilateral relations.

Touadéra is highly interested in investments from Russia in agriculture and mineral resources mining and also the necessity to make deliveries of special machinery from Russia. Concerning agriculture, the CAR boasts huge potential with its large territory – over 15 mln hectares. In order to develop the agricultural sector, specialists and required equipment are badly needed in the country.

“We would like investors from Russia to invest more in projects related to agriculture and animal farming, to facilitate diversification of cotton and peanuts exports. We believe Russia can supply machinery and equipment and provide technologies for agriculture development, so that we can raise cotton and produce sugar. As regards special machinery for agriculture development, we are also interested in it,” Touadéra underscored in his talks with Putin in the Kremlin.

Appreciating Grains and Fuel Supply

Touadéra expressed gratitude for Russia’s supplies of grain as part of the humanitarian aid to the Central African Republic in 2023 and 2024. For bolstering relations, Putin guaranteed further at “no-cost deliveries of grains” to continue cooperation in this area of food supplies, specifically wheat. Putin made that decision to provide aid to the CAR and other African countries during the second Russia-Africa summit, which took place in St. Petersburg in 2023. In January 2024, Russian Ambassador to Bangui, Alexander Bikantov, reported the shipment of 50,000 tons of food was delivered from Russia to CAR. It showed that Putin’s promise was fulfilled.

Due to the shortage of fuel and lubricants, Russia also delivered a cargo of 30,000 tons of diesel fuel in Jan. 2025. Last year, Russia and the Central African Republic held talks on the delivery of 30,000 tons of Russian fuel, and this delivery could continue on a commercial basis if requests are promptly made from the CAR authorities within the framework of the signed memorandum.

Notwithstanding some criticisms combined with unforeseen obstacles, Russia-CAR bilateral relations on the whole can be described or summarized as promising partnership. Russian enterprises and agencies are showing dynamic interest in enhancing security and military-technical , trade and economic cooperation. These reflected in the speech by CAR President Touadéra when he said that “the official visit serves as further evidence of the genuine cooperation, sincere friendship, and resilience of pragmatic partnership.”

The name of the Central African Republic is derived from the country’s geographical location in the central region of Africa and its republican form of government. Large proportion of the population estimated 5.6 million is impoverished, wallow in abject poverty despite the untapped  natural resources endowed in the country. Despite its significant mineral deposits and other resources, such as uranium reserves, crude oil, gold, diamonds, cobalt, lumber, and hydropower, as well as arable land, it is among the ten poorest countries in the world. It shares borders with Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo.