You can't spell impunity without unity
CAR Watch ~ February 2022 in the rearview?
Coups to the left, Wagner to the right and here CAR is stuck in the middle with the EU and AU. Though, if the center holds it can be a fulcrum, or so one hopes. For the shortest month on the calendar it sure turned out to be an eventful one. With it apparently being summit month seemingly everyone met with everyone at one point or another. The AU celebrated 20 years on its own in Addis Ababa and met up with the EU in Brussels after that, with the Russians having their own sets of meetings and lots of action on the periphery everywhere.
It was also the third anniversary of the peace deal between the government and the rebels but as most are well aware there’s a long way to go towards achieving a true lasting peace.
Caught in the midst of a kerfuffle of some sort, Prime Minister Dondra tendered his resignation. Whether he meant it, was forced into it or was persuaded to do it remains an open question. Felix Moula was quickly appointed as his replacement and largely kept the prior administration in place.
As Wagner becomes a more entrenched part of life in CAR reports emerge that they are beginning to collect taxes on coffee in the countryside. They’ve also started a ‘Wolf Warrior’ film franchise all their own showcasing Russian Rambos as conquering heros for the continent.
Mid-month saw reports of another shocking massacre by Russian mercenaries in what is becoming a tediously horrific pattern.
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To follow that up Russians were also implicated in the assasination of Zakaria Damane and a couple dozen of his associates.
Next came the odd tale from the Bangui airport where on a busy day of high level departures and arrivals four MINUSCA security personnel were arrested, allegedly in the midst of a plot to assassinate President Touadera but this is a highly dubious narrative that did not seem to hold up to any scrutiny.
The month drew to a close with all eyes suddenly turning to the unexpected war in Ukraine. African leaders you’d expect lined up with Russia, with Touadera actually being the first and perhaps only world leader to recognize Luhansk and Donetsk as “new” countries and CAR abstained during the UN's vote to condemn Russia. Eritrea, Sudan and Mali also made murmurs of positivity but the overwhelming mood seemed to be with the opinion of the rest of the world, that this invasion is unjustified and a travesty of staggering proportions.
Impunity is the buzzword lately, as more international norms get shredded daily the precipice feels ever closer. Let’s all step back from the abyss for a second and take a minute for a harsh reappraisal of the scene. March is meant to come in like a lion and out like a lamb, here’s to hoping the old adage holds.