Central African Republic Votes Under Russian Guard

Voters in the Central African Republic (CAR) will go to the polls on December 28. They will elect a president and members of parliament. The election occurs amid serious security challenges. Armed groups control large parts of the country. Violence could disrupt the voting process. To address this, the government increasingly depends on Russian military support. Hundreds of Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group are already in the country. They help guard the capital and train the national army. This growing partnership with Russia is a major point of international concern. It marks a shift in influence away from former colonial power France and United Nations peacekeepers. The December vote is a test. It will measure both the country's stability and the effectiveness of its Russian-backed security strategy.