Russia and Central African Republic agree to teach Russian in three public schools

Russia and the Central African Republic (CAR), an African country where Russian mercenaries have operated since 2017, have signed a resolution on teaching the Russian language in CAR schools. The Russian Education Ministry's press office announced the move, which opens the way for Russian to be introduced into the country's public education system.

Under a pilot program, Russian classes will begin at three CAR schools and will be aimed at students in sixth grade and above. The Russian ministry has already supplied the CAR with 500 textbooks for learning Russian as a foreign language. Further cooperation is planned, including a Russian-language department at the University of Bangui.

Background

Since 2024, teachers from Russian House in Bangui, the capital, have taught Russian at private schools in the CAR. On October 1, it emerged that Russian had been added to the public school curriculum.

Russia's presence in the country

Mercenaries from the Wagner private military company began operating in the CAR in 2017. In 2023, after the mutiny and the death of Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russia's Defense Ministry took control of them. According to a U.S. congressional estimate, about 1,500 Russian mercenaries remained in the country as of early 2026.

Moscow supports CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, who amended the constitution and won reelection to a third term in 2025.

In the September 2026 elections to Russia's State Duma, the United Russia party received 79% of the vote in the CAR, its best result among all polling stations abroad. In total, 210 people voted in the Russian elections in the country.