Six Libyan diplomats, including the ambassador who was to be appointed to Bangui, were expelled from the Central African Republic on Saturday, October 24. They had been arrested on their arrival the day before by the port security forces, then placed under house arrest in a hotel in the capital under guard, awaiting deportation. This incident indicates that the Libyan crisis was invited to Bangui.
Several sources have confirmed the expulsion of the six Libyan diplomats from Bangui. While these diplomats claim that their arrival was announced according to the rules of diplomatic usage, Bangui mentions a visa problem.
” We have doubts about their visas, and in the absence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, we preferred that they leave Bangui “, explains Albert Yaloké Mokpeme, spokesperson for the presidency, to RFI. ” We do not know who is who in this story, ” adds the spokesperson for the presidency.
Russia influences the Central African Republic.
The embassy had been headed for several years by a charge d’affaires who announced not to recognize the government of national unity (GNU) but the camp of Marshal Khalifa Haftar in 2018. The government of national unity then dismissed him from his post in December 2019. Since then, Tripoli has accused Bangui of blocking any attempt to appoint a new ambassador.
According to several observers, this diplomatic incident relates to the growing influence of Russia in the Central African Republic and the strong presence of Russian advisers to President Faustin-Archange Touadéra. Moscow is supporting Marshal Haftar in Libya, while Turkey is unconditional support for its GNU opponents.
After Syria, Libya and Azerbaijan, the war of influence which is taking place between Russia and Turkey seems to extend to the Central African Republic.
