A Russian private security company affiliated with the Wagner mercenary group said Friday that a new rotation of its “instructors” have arrived in the Central African Republic as it prepares to hold a referendum.
The troubled nation, where Wagner mercenaries are already helping the government fight rebels, will on Sunday vote on a constitutional change that could open the door to a third term by President Faustin Archange Touadera.
“Another plane with our instructors arrived in the Central African Republic as part of a planned rotation,” the Officers’ Union for International Security (OUIS) said on Telegram.
In recent weeks, several foreign sources have said that Wagner fighters were leaving the poor land-locked nation, which the government has denied.
But the group allegedly linked to Wagner said the new rotation “once again confirms that rumours about the withdrawal of our forces from the Central African Republic are baseless.”
“For some time the rotation was difficult, but now fresh forces are arriving in the country,” it said.
The group said the instructors are “fighters with Wagner PMC experience,” referring to the private military company.
They “are ready to fully support the government of the Republic both in current tasks and in ensuring security during the upcoming referendum,” the statement added.
According to Washington, OUIS is a front company for the Wagner group in CAR. It is run by Russian Alexandre Ivanov, who was placed under American sanctions in January.
AFP could not independently confirm the link between the two organizations.
The future of the Wagner group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin is uncertain after it launched a short-lived rebellion against Russia’s military top brass last month.
