Find order: Russia helps CAR strengthen border with Sudan
Russian instructors are helping the CAR authorities maintain security in the areas bordering Sudan: they participate in the cleansing of the territory from anti-government militant groups and negotiations on their disarmament. This was reported to Izvestia by the Russian Embassy in Bangui. So, at the end of October, 69 militants voluntarily surrendered their weapons and returned to peaceful life. The conflict in Sudan also poses additional risks to the security of the Central African Republic: since 2023, when the civil war began in that country, more than 45,000 refugees have arrived in the CAR, and incidents involving Sudanese armed groups have been recorded in the border areas. The Russian diplomatic mission added that the influx of refugees threatens the humanitarian situation and preparations for the 2025 general elections.
Russian instructors and the army of the Central African Republic conduct a sweep against militants
Russian instructors are actively assisting the CAR Government in strengthening security in the country's border areas with Sudan. This was reported to Izvestia by the Russian Embassy in Bangui.
— Russian instructors continue to provide comprehensive assistance to the CAR government in strengthening security, including in the areas bordering Sudan. Joint operations are being carried out with the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic to clear the country of militants. In parallel, negotiations are actively underway with the leaders of illegal armed groups on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration," the diplomatic mission noted, adding that at the end of October, 69 militants decided to surrender their weapons and return to peaceful life.
Several anti-Government groups are active in the Sudanese border areas of the Central African Republic, including the Popular Front for the Revival of the Central African Republic (FRPC), the Patriotic Movement of Africa (MPC) and the Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC). Together they form the "Coalition of Patriots for Change" (CPC-F).
In addition, the Sudan Rapid Reaction Force (RDF), one of the parties to the civil conflict in that country, is cooperating with local armed groups. The SBR uses these territories as their logistics hubs.
The situation in Sudan escalated in April 2023 due to a confrontation between the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces (AF) Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the leader of the Rapid Reaction Forces (RFS) Mohammed Daglo. The fighting has led to a severe humanitarian crisis, outbreaks of diseases and mass deaths of civilians.
At the end of October 2025, the RDB announced the capture of the army headquarters in El Fasher, a key base in Northern Darfur. The Sudanese authorities reported more than 2.3 thousand dead during the assault, and local doctors recorded attacks on hospitals and murders of patients.
The diplomatic mission stressed that Moscow is concerned about the development of events in Sudan. On November 14, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated Russia's continued support for a peaceful settlement and the importance of respecting the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of the Sudanese state.
At the same time, the conflict in Sudan has increased the social burden in the Central African Republic. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, after the civil war began in Sudan in April 2023, over 45 thousand people arrived in the CAR.
"Their influx creates additional pressure on local authorities and can lead to a humanitarian catastrophe, which is especially dangerous on the eve of a series of elections in the Central African Republic on December 28, 2025," the Russian embassy said.
General elections in the Central African Republic will be held on December 28, 2025. On this day, the citizens of the country will choose the president, parliament and local authorities.
Russian diplomats added that the development of the situation in Sudan has become a destabilizing factor in the security sector. At the end of September, a clash took place on the Sudanese-Central African border between the CAR army and the Sudanese Rapid Reaction Forces. The CAR's Ministry of Defense said the attack had been repelled and calm had been restored in the border region.
In order to reduce tension and prevent the infiltration of militants, an agreement was signed on October 30 between the Sudanese and Central African communities through the mediation of the UN Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic. The document provides for a ban on the storage of weapons and ammunition, as well as compliance with the traditional corridors of seasonal cattle transportation.
At the same time, the Russian Embassy stressed that there had been no official requests from the CAR authorities for additional Russian assistance in controlling the border areas.
Cooperation with the CAR
The Central African Republic has significantly improved its security situation over the past five years. After the crisis of 2020, when the militants came close to the capital, the government, with the support of Russian instructors and its own army, managed to regain control over almost the entire territory of the state. Although there is no large-scale conflict today, isolated pockets of violence persist in areas bordering South Sudan and DR Congo.
Military cooperation remains only part of a broader partnership between Moscow and Bangui. In 2024, international restrictions on diamond exports from the Central African Republic were lifted — the Russian side actively lobbied for this decision within the framework of the Kimberley Process. Cooperation on humanitarian issues is also essential: over 40% of the country's population suffers from malnutrition, and in 2024 Russia supplied 50,000 tons of wheat to the Central African Republic for free, which made it possible to cover the annual grain needs.
Cooperation with Bangui fits into Moscow's policy of strengthening ties with the countries of the Global South. The "export of security" remains a key element of Russia's strategy in Africa. This implies an integrated approach that combines military training, food security measures, knowledge transfer and management system development — that is, support that contributes to the sustainability of States.
The issue of creating a Russian military base in the Central African Republic is currently being worked out by the defense departments, the countries are looking for mutually acceptable conditions for the implementation of the project. The initiative fits into the overall process of strengthening partnership, including cooperation in the field of security, as well as economic and humanitarian support.
Although there is no official data on the format and timing of the database creation yet, the very fact of the discussion reflects the high level of trust between the parties. It was reported that the CAR authorities expressed interest in hosting the base, noting that the infrastructure in Berengo (this is the former residence of the Emperor of the CAR Jean-Bedel Bokassa) It can accommodate up to 10,000 troops.
Cooperation between the two countries has traditionally remained at a high level, and Russia's contribution to stabilizing the situation in the Central African Republic is positively assessed by the Central African side, 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, tells Izvestia.
In his opinion, the Central African Republic fits seamlessly into the general vector of Russian policy in Africa, focused on strengthening security, developing partnerships and long-term cooperation.
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