© FRED MARIE / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP
Nnew diplomatic tensions for the France on Africa. Four French soldiers escorting a general of the force of theHIM-HER-IT were arrested on Monday February 21 at Bangui airport, immediately triggering accusations of “attempted assassination” of the Central African president on social networks, qualified by Paris and the UN of gross manipulation.
The four men were still in the premises of the gendarmerie in the evening, told Agence France-Presse in Paris an official of the general staff of the French armies, adding: “The problem is being resolved, at At this stage, there is nothing to worry about. »
“The close protection team of General (Stéphane) Marchenoir, Chief of Staff of the Minusca Force (United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic), made up of four French soldiers, was arrested this afternoon at the Bangui airport” as they escorted the general who was to fly to Paris, the embassy said in a statement on its Twitter and Facebook accounts.
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The close protection team of General Marchenoir, Chief of Staff of the Minusca Force, made up of four French soldiers, was arrested this afternoon at Bangui airport. These 4 security officers were escorting the Chief of Staff of the ??
? France in Bangui (@FranceBangui) February 21, 2022
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War of influence between France and Russia
Many private accounts then spread on social networks with accusations against the French soldiers, claiming in particular that they had wanted to “assassinate” the Central African President Faustin Archange Touadéra, with many photos of their alleged vehicle and weapons “seized” during of their arrest.
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This incident comes at a time when relations between France and its former colony are increasingly tense, exacerbated by a fierce war of influence between Paris and Moscow, in this country in civil war since 2013.
France accuses the Central African Republic of being “accomplice” of an anti-French campaign orchestrated by Moscow, in particular by countless trolls on social networks and in certain media. And Moscow criticizes Paris for accusing the Russian private security company Wagner of having taken control of the country’s power and resources.
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“The embassy deeply regrets this incident. It condemns its immediate instrumentalization on certain malicious networks and the gross disinformation to which it gives rise, ”wrote the diplomatic representation on Monday evening.
“A combination of circumstances”
“They were at the airport to escort the general, it was a combination of circumstances that meant that at the same time, President Touadéra’s plane landed”, explained the Parisian army staff to theFrance Media Agency. “Without particular reasons, they were arrested by the Central African gendarmerie while they were near the airport and charges relating to an attempted attack were made via social networks”, continued this source.
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In a press release, the Minusca “regretted this incident and strongly condemns its instrumentalization on social networks, in an attempt to manipulate public opinion”. “She categorically rejects the charges of undermining state security,” concludes the peacekeeping force.
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The Minusca has about 15,000 soldiers and police in this country among the poorest in the world and in civil war for almost nine years. At the end of December 2020, a coalition of several of the armed groups which then controlled more than two-thirds of the Central African Republic launched an offensive towards Bangui to overthrow President Touadéra on the eve of the presidential election.