The head of French diplomacy Jean-Yves Le Drian on Sunday evening accused the mercenaries of the private Russian group Wagner of “replacing” the authority of the State in the Central African Republic and
“confiscating its fiscal capacity”.
"When they enter a country, they multiply the violations, the exactions, the predations to sometimes even replace the authority of the country"
, he affirmed in the program "C in the air" on the channel France 5.
"The most spectacular example is the Central African Republic where finally, in order to be able to pay, they confiscate the fiscal capacity of the State"
, he said.
France, very involved militarily in the fight against terrorism in Mali, is up against a possible arrival of the Wagner group in this country to train the local armed forces and ensure the protection of the leaders. She has already warned the Malian transitional authorities that Wagner's presence would call into question his military engagement in Mali. “
This is not an option for us. This is completely incompatible with the way in which we see the fight against terrorism in Mali ”
, reiterated Jean-Yves Le Drian.
The Wagner group is suspected, in particular by Paris, of acting on behalf of the Kremlin where the latter does not want to appear too officially.
"Wagner is first and foremost a company of Russian mercenaries who wage war by proxy on behalf of Russia even if Russia denies it (...) It does not deceive anyone"
, hammered the minister.
The French foreign minister complained in September to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“I told him like that.
He said it's not me.
I told him if it's you.
They take refuge behind the fact that such and such a state has the right to enter into a contract with such and such a company.
But that's not the reality, ”
he said.
"The reality is that they are combatants, people who violate international law and question the very sovereignty of States,"
he said.
