Russia pulling ‘military instructors’ out of CAR

UNITED NATIONS: Russia told the United Nations this week it plans to withdraw the 300 "military instructors" it sent to the Central African Republic at the end of 2020 for the presidential election, diplomats told AFP on Friday.

"The Russians have informed the UN that they will withdraw the troops and helicopters" which had been deployed to the Central African Republic during the election at the end of December, a diplomat said, on condition of anonymity.

News of the withdrawal was passed to the UN Sanctions Committee responsible for monitoring the arms embargo imposed on the CAR, said another diplomat.

In addition to several hundred "instructors," Moscow had also deployed three or four transport helicopters. The announcement of the Russian military withdrawal was made before the attacks carried out Wednesday on the outskirts of Bangui, and questions remained at the UN as to whether Moscow will confirm the departure of the military in light of those latest events.