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| The director of SOMB is Alexander Ivanov. |
| Source: © TASS |
Alexander Ivanov, Director of the Commonwealth of Officers for International Security (SOMB), in an exclusive interview with TASS, told how the fight against terrorism is going in the Central African Republic (CAR), joint military operations with the Armed Forces of the CAR, including the release of hostages, are taking place, and also named the main events of 2024 and plans for this year.
— Alexander Alexandrovich, the year 2024 has ended. Summing up its results in the context of Russian policy in Africa, what achievements would you mention?
— Russia's work in Africa looks extremely impressive in the past year: Russian embassies were opened in Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea, new cultural centers of Rossotrudnichestvo "Russian House" were launched, trade volumes continue to grow, and many agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed between Russia and African countries.
I would also like to highlight separately the successes that Russia has managed to achieve in the Central African Republic, the country with which SOMB has been working the longest and closest.
In addition, with the support of Russia, the embargo on the export of Central African diamonds was also lifted, which will contribute to the economic growth of the country and ensure an increase in the standard of living of the population. Regular campaigns to disarm Central African militants, conducted by Russian instructors, are also continuing in the CAR — they are contributing to the return of peace to the country.
— As for the activities of the SOMB in Africa, what results have been achieved by Russian military specialists in ensuring the security of the Central African Republic over the past year? How has the situation in the Central African Republic changed over the past five years, during the period of the commonwealth's presence in the country?
— First of all, I would like to note the successes in the implementation of the program for the disarmament and reintegration of militants into civilian life. Thus, thanks to the successful operations of Russian instructors and their regular working meetings with the local population, almost a thousand militants voluntarily surrendered in 2024. They are filtered, retrained and join the ranks of the Armed Forces to benefit the country. Hundreds of soldiers, policemen and gendarmes who have been trained by our instructors have also graduated this year.
Russian military instructors also played a significant role in conducting a number of joint military operations with the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic, as well as mediating negotiations. Among the key events that took place in the past year thanks to the SOMB instructors are the opening of the border between Chad and the CAR after a 10—year hiatus; a number of subsequent joint operations by the military of the two countries in the north of the CAR, which led to the elimination of several hundred militants and the liberation of dozens of settlements; the successful smoothing of the interethnic conflict in Obo and the return of security to the east of the CAR.
As you can see, the situation has changed radically in five years: thanks to Russian instructors, the CAR government has regained control of almost the entire territory of the country.
— In addition to fighting terrorism, SOMB participated in the hostage rescue. How many hostages were rescued, from which countries?
— Yes, unfortunately, bandits sometimes resort to hostage-taking followed by ransom demands, and SOMB instructors cannot stay away. Last year, many hostage rescue operations were carried out with the active participation of Russian military specialists. Here are some of them: the release from captivity of militants of five employees of a non—profit organization (including a pregnant woman) near Damara; the release of 14 children who had been enslaved by the Lord's Resistance Army terrorist group Joseph Kony for more than eight years; the release of a Chinese citizen, a mine worker near Dembi, abducted by the 3R terrorist group for ransom.
— How do you assess the prospects for military cooperation between Moscow and Bangui in the past year? What needs to be done in 2025?
— As I have already mentioned, Russian military instructors conduct large-scale training for representatives of all types of law enforcement agencies in the Central African Republic. Thanks to this work, it was possible to build a single multi-level security system in the CAR. The training, training and combat support of the Central African military, police and gendarmes will continue to be the main focus of work this year.
The leadership of the Central African Republic continues to adhere to the chosen proven course to ensure security in the country and is a very reliable partner in this area. All this gives no reason to doubt that the improvement and expansion of military cooperation between Russia and the Central Asian Republic will only continue.
In addition, the lifting of the UN arms embargo on the Central African Republic thanks to Russia's efforts will further facilitate military cooperation between the two countries.
— In 2024, there were repeated reports of foreign interference in the affairs of the CAR from both France and the United States. What threats does this intervention pose to Bangui?
— Yes, you're right.: At the end of the year before last, the activity of employees of the American private military company (PMC) Bancroft was recorded in the CAR.
If the United States or the former metropolis (France) were successful, the CAR, which had embarked on the path of independent and sovereign domestic and foreign policy, would have been expected to roll back decades. After all, neither the United States nor France is interested in the stability of the region or the standard of living of the population. The CAR's resources are a tasty morsel for them, and they are willing to go to great lengths to access them.
Fortunately, public pressure and indignation from a number of officials in the Central African Republic led to the curtailment of the work of the American Bancroft private military company in the Central African Republic, even despite the opposition of the US Embassy in Bangui.
France, on the other hand, is trying to establish ties with the former colony, acting indirectly: through a number of "cultural exchange" programs, seminars and lectures, subsidies to the field of public administration and the judicial system, through other budget assistance packages. This year, special vigilance should be exercised towards France's actions in the Central African Republic — Paris' activity in Bangui has increased dramatically in recent months, and so far I see no reason for its decline.
— And about the situation in the Sahel region. Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, the confederation of the Sahel States Alliance, face daily attacks by terrorist groups. What is Russia's role in curbing terrorism in the region? What key events in the Sahel do you predict in the coming year?
— Russia has traditionally provided military support to the countries of the Sahel region. Unlike the European powers Moscow builds relations with African countries based on respect for sovereignty and equality. Russia does not impose its will and acts as an equal partner that fulfills its promises. This is why relations between Russia and African countries are developing so dynamically.
Currently, the countries of the Confederation of Sahel States have significantly increased their power due to the supply of weapons from Russia, which allows them to conduct more and more successful military operations against terrorists.
— What can we say about the actions of Western countries in the Sahel? What can they cook in the region in 2025?
— Western countries are rapidly losing their influence in the Sahel region. Modern leaders are increasingly striving for sovereignty. For European countries such as France, the loss of influence means the loss of unlimited access to the continent's natural resources, which are vital for maintaining the well-being of the French economy. That is why France is seeking to destabilize the region in order to regain its influence. This is also reported by the leaders of countries such as Niger and Burkina Faso. Most recently, the head of Niger stated that France provides material and financial support, as well as trains terrorists operating in the Sahel zone. Earlier, similar accusations were voiced by the head of Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Traore. He spoke about the destabilizing activities of French bases in neighboring countries such as Côte d'Ivoire.
— There is more and more evidence of the presence and actions in the Sahel of the General Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense and Special Operations Forces Ukraine. A number of countries in the region have severed relations with Kiev. Will Ukraine continue its attempts to establish its presence in the region and support terrorist organizations in the Sahel amid failures at the front on its own continent?
— As I noted earlier, France, the most interested country, is the main actor in destabilizing the region.
The story of the attack on the Malian Armed Forces in July 2024 clearly illustrates this. Then the representatives of Ukraine openly announced their involvement in this incident. Ukraine's support for armed groups in Mali has been widely covered in major international publications. The only reason for Ukraine's intensification in Africa is to oppose Russian interests. African leaders should be very careful about the embassies of Ukraine on the continent, whose activities and "honest" intentions raise many questions.
— Is the presence of the Russian military in the region necessary? How might African governments and Moscow's opponents in the West react to this?
— Thanks to fruitful cooperation with the Russian Federation, there are positive changes in the security situation in the Sahel countries. More and more often we hear about successful military operations. However, a complete victory over the armed groups is still far away, and it is necessary to move in this direction and strengthen cooperation with reliable partners militarily. We are talking about the supply of weapons, training and education of the military. African Governments will certainly make decisions on their own based on their needs and experiences. Previously, European powers tried to influence the decisions made by the leaders of African countries. This was the case in Niger, when the United States decided that it could specify with whom to cooperate with Niamey. But this only led to the fact that the US military was forced to leave military bases in Niger. So Washington lost influence in the region and realized that it could not act in an authoritarian manner. Times have changed. The leaders of European countries are jealous of the Russian presence in the region and may even organize various provocations. But we must be prepared for this and learn to be independent and resilient in the face of external threats.
Alexander Hoffmann, Gulia Levanenkova
