Reliance on Russia’s military offerings has become increasingly prevalent in parts of Africa, amid an aggressive push by Moscow to lessen Western influence on the continent.

Russian officers from the Wagner group are seen around Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadéra in Bangui on July 17, 2023, as they are part of the presidential security system.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, and President of the CAR Faustin-Archange Touadera, prior to their talks at the Kremlin in ...

While Russian ally Bashar al-Assad was being toppled by rebels in Syria, another friend of Moscow, President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, was being chaperoned by Kremlin-backed mercenaries in the ...