WAGNER IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
AREA: 622,984 sq KM
LANDLOCKED
BORDERING COUNTRIES: Cameroon 901km, Chad 1556km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1747km, Republic of the Congo 487km, South Sudan 1055km, Sudan 174km.
POPULATION: 5,552,228 (2023 est.)
POPULATION BELOW POVERTY LINE: 62% (2008 est)
URBANIZATION: 43.6% of total population (2023)
ETHNIC GROUPS: Baya 28.8%, Banda 22.9%, Mandjia 9.9%, Sara 7.9%, M’Baka-Bantu 7.9%, Arab-Fulani (Peuhl) 6%, Mbum 6%, Ngbanki 5.5%, Zande-Nzakara 3%, other Central African Republic ethnic groups 2%, non-Central African Republic ethnic groups .1% (2003 est.)
RELIGIONS: Christian 89%, Muslim 9%, folk religion 1%, unaffiliated 1% (2020 est.)
AGES:
0-14 years: 38.84% (male 1,104,007/female 1,052,411)
15-64 years: 57.71% (male 1,577,102/female 1,627,133)
65 years and over: 3.45% (2023 est.) (male 83,431/female 108,144)
GOVERNMENT TYPE:
Presidential Republic
INDEPENDENCE:
August 13, 1960 (From France)
CHIEF OF STATE: President Faustin Archange Touadera (since March 30, 2016)
MILITARY STRENGTH:
up to 15,000 FACA troops (2023)
REFUGEES: 6,632 from Democratic Republic of Congo, 10,368 (2023)
IDPs: 483,074
SOURCE: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/central-african-republic/
The Wagner Group is most notorious in Africa for its fierce defense of President Faustin Archange Touadera. After years of fighting, supporters of their “security” state they haven’t had peace and the security provided builds loyalty to Russia. Critics, however, are murdered and silenced. Journalists are killed and harassed.