Russia denies that its personnel were involved in the killings in the Central African Republic | Central African Republic News

After the United States, France, and the United Kingdom accused Russian military contractors of human rights violations, the Kremlin was rejected.

The Kremlin denied that Russian military instructors in the Central African Republic were involved in killing civilians and looting houses.

In a heated discussion at the UN Security Council last week, the United States, France and the United Kingdom accused Russian military contractors of violating human rights and obstructing UN peacekeeping operations in conflict-affected countries.

On Sunday, the New York Times cited a report submitted to the Security Council that accused the Russians of killing civilians and looting houses in fighting earlier this year.

When asked about the report, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov categorically denied this statement.

“Russian military advisers cannot participate, nor are they involved in any killings or robberies,” Peskov said in a conference call with reporters on Monday. “This is another lie.”

The mineral-rich Central African Republic has been facing deadly battles since 2013.

The government and 14 rebel groups signed a peace agreement in February 2019, but large-scale violence continues.

The country’s Russian-backed President Faustin-Archange Touadéra won his second term in December’s elections, but he continues to face resistance from rebel forces associated with former President François Bozize.

Russia has deployed military advisers in the Central African Republic to train its military at the invitation of the government.

Western powers have linked Russian personnel in the Central African Republic with the notorious Wagner Group, a private security company allegedly linked to businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was suspected of being involved. Intervened in the 2016 presidential election and was prosecuted in the United States.

According to reports, companies associated with Prigozhin have also obtained lucrative mining contracts in the Central African Republic. In 2018, three Russian journalists were killed in the Central African Republic while investigating Wagner’s activities in the Central African Republic. No suspects have been found so far.

Prigozhin received the nickname “Putin’s Chef” for hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin and his foreign guests in his restaurant and providing services for important Kremlin events.