It seems like not everyone is subjectively toeing the line of the “I stand with Ukraine” slogan. The dynamics are slowly shifting with dissenting views emerging altogether. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has erupted a whole lot of scholarly debates, political thoughts, and personal expressions.
On Saturday, scores of people participated in a demonstration in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. This act was a show of solidarity and support of Russia’s offensive against Ukraine.
The demonstrators converged at the surrounding of a statue that was inaugurated in late 2021 by President Faustin Archange Touadera. The significance of the statue is crucial to the help Russia rendered to the people of the Central African Republic. It displays a portrait representing Russian fighters protecting a woman and her children. Many waved Russian and Central African flags.
WHAT DID RUSSIA DO FOR THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC?
Around December 2020, a coalition of armed and militant groups aggressively approached the country’s capital. The troubled President Faustin Archange Touadera appealed to Russia for military support to coil the attacks, and rehabilitate his poorly trained army.
In a space of a few months, with the aid of Russian backing, the CAR’s inefficient army drove back rebels who had settled in two-thirds of the CAR’s territory. They recovered a vast proportion.
Today, government forces have regained control over the major cities.
Demonstrators held up placards proclaiming “Russia saves Donbass” — an initial reference to the Ukrainian territory that President Vladimir Putin cited as justification for Thursday’s attack. They also held banners assuring “Central Africans with Russia.”
The Central African Republic, during a vote on Wednesday, had abstained from the United Nations General Assembly text that “demands that Russia immediately cease the use of force against Ukraine.”
Galaxie Nationale platform is one of the associations organizing demonstrations in favor of Russia. They have also been critical towards the activities of France, a former colonial power, and the UN. Blaise-Didacien Kossimatchi, a member of the organization, stated “We are here to give our unwavering support to Russia in this war. I think it was imposed by the West on Russia.”
“Nato wanted to install its military base in Ukraine to attack Russia,” he continued.
Galaxie Nationale had organized a previous demonstration in support of Russia, which brought together about 100 people on February 23 in Bangui.
