President Emmanuel Macron of France arrived Chad today (Saturday 22nd December, 2018) to hold urgent talks with the country’s President, Idriss Deby. 

The aim of the meeting is to discuss Russia’s new miltary alliance with the government of the Central African Republic (CAR).

Russia has been supplying arms to the CAR. About 175 Russians, employed by private contractors, were sent to the country to train two battalions. 

Also, a Russian, Valerii Zakharov, is currently serving as a national seciurity adviser to the President of CAR.

In addition, Russia has started peace talks with former members of the Seleka rebel forces to bring peace to the Central African Republic.

All these seem to be worrying Paris, which is not used to seeing such close cooperation between Francophone African countries and world powers.