EU military mission in CAR sets out conditions to resume operations

The commander of the European Union's training mission in the Central African Republic announced that activities would only be resumed in the country if the CAR forces ceased to be employed by Russian paramilitary group, Wagner.

The suspension of the training mission was announced in mid-December.

handover ceremony from French General Jacques Langlade de Montgros (front) to Belgian General Jacky Cabo in the presence of Vice-Admiral Hervé Bléjean on the ground of the Moana camp of the EUTM

"The European Union can no longer afford to train units that are then employed by Wagner with all the allegations possible going around. It is the reputation and the defense of European values that are at stake" warned Hervé Bléjean, Vice-Admiral and Director-General of the European Union Military Staff.

Since 2016 that the EU military mission has trained thousands of Central African soldiers.

The country has been involved in a civil war since 2013.

"Our conditions are very simple. The first condition is to have the guarantee that the units we train are not employed by Wagner, but are employed within the sovereign framework of the employment of the national armed forces. That is the first of our conditions. The second of the conditions is to have a coherent and sustainable national defense plan", added the high ranking officer during the handover ceremony to Belgian General Jacky Cabo at the Moana military base.

There are currently around 100 European soldiers left in the Central African Republic who are currently focusing on strategic advice to the army.