• Moscow seeks to swap Wagner for Africa Corps, under the Russian Defense Ministry’s control.
• New deal would require CAR to pay billions of CFA francs for security services.
• Request comes as President Touadéra prepares for a third-term run amid political tension.

Russia is pressing the Central African Republic (CAR) to replace the Wagner private military group with Africa Corps, a new force operating under the Russian Ministry of Defense. The plan includes direct financial payments to Moscow worth billions of CFA francs, or millions of dollars, for security services, according to the Associated Press, citing senior CAR officials.

A CAR military source said the Russian deputy defense minister presented the proposal during visits earlier this year. Under the new arrangement, Bangui would cover Africa Corps’ personnel costs and pay Russia significant additional sums. The government is hesitant to accept the terms, the official said. A senior figure at the National Assembly confirmed the request, noting that discussions are underway.

The proposal comes at a politically sensitive moment. In July 2025, President Faustin-Archange Touadéra announced his bid for a third term, made possible by a controversial 2023 constitutional change that extended presidential mandates. The reform faced criticism from parts of the opposition and local civil society but was seen by the president as a step toward consolidating power.

Touadéra has depended on Wagner since 2018 for his personal security and to help government forces reclaim territory from Séléka rebels, whose uprising in the early 2010s triggered a civil war. In return, Wagner secured access to the country’s gold and diamond resources.

During a visit to Moscow in January 2025, Touadéra met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss continued security cooperation, as well as partnerships in mining and agriculture. Putin reiterated Russia’s commitment to supporting CAR, especially in defense.

Pressure to accept the change

Analysts believe Bangui may find it difficult to reject Moscow’s demands. Unlike Wagner, which fights rebels alongside government forces, Africa Corps is more focused on training and that could be a contentious issues for both countries said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. “In Mali, they were forced to accept the change. I don’t think the Central African Republic has options since they chased away the Europeans.”

France, the former colonial power, deployed up to 1,600 soldiers in CAR between 2013 and 2022 under the UN-backed Sangaris mission to end intercommunal violence. Relations with Bangui soured, and French troops withdrew gradually as the CAR government turned to Wagner for security assistance.