MOSCOW, Dec 21 The French Foreign Ministry summoned the French Ambassador to Russia Pierre Levy after the statements of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic, Catherine Colonna, regarding the assassination attempt on the head of the «Russian House» in the CAR, Dmitry Syty, the agency's website says.
«He was strongly protested in connection with the minister's of Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, Catherine Colonna, made regarding the assassination attempt on December 16 in the Central African Republic on the general director of the Russian company «Russian House» in the Bangui of Dmitry Sytoy», — stated in the publication.
Russian diplomats pointed out to the French ambassador that Moscow's accusations of spreading «propaganda» and «violence against the civilian population» of the CAR by «certain Russian private military structures» are unacceptable.
The ministry noted that such comments sound inappropriate, while provided that the Russian citizen became a victim of a criminal act and is still in the hospital.
The Foreign Ministry called on Paris to refrain from a neo-colonial approach in the CAR, to stop whipping up anti-Russian hysteria, and to tell African partners who they should be friends with and cooperate with. the site of the explosion in Sytyi's office. It clearly shows a note with a threat «from all the French» and an appeal to the Russians to «get out of Africa».
Businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner Group, which dealt with security issues in the Central African Republic, also reported that the head of the Russia House received a threatening note.
Syty was hospitalized in Bangui after an assassination attempt last Friday morning: package. The head of the CAR police, Bienvenyu Zokue, said that the Russian had previously received threats. A high-ranking source in the local police told the agency that the CAR police are investigating how DHL delivered a package with an explosive device to the head of the Russia House.
The day before, the French Ministry of Defense announced that the last 130 The African Republic, as part of a logistics mission (MISLOG), left the country.
France in 2021 decided to suspend military cooperation with the Central African Republic. The country's authorities considered that the republic was participating in an anti-French campaign, which, according to Paris, was being carried out by Russia. The French contingent in the MISLOG-B mission was responsible for the logistics of the base in the capital Bangui, which is used by members of the EU training mission and the UN Multidimensional Stabilization Mission in the CAR.