Today, it’s not just Hollywood that makes propaganda. Russia and the Central African Republic have co-produced a “Tourist” propaganda film. This Russian film, shot in the Central African Republic (CAR), in March-April, glorifies the action of Russian “instructors” alongside the Central African authorities, during the period of the last presidential election, in 2020, which saw the re-election of Faustin Archange Touadéra. It tells the story of a young Russian mercenary, responding to the pseudonym of Tourist, who fights against the rebellion led by ex-president François Bozizé. Wounded and evacuated during the fighting, the contractor will see, from Moscow, the re-elected president’s enthronement ceremony at the end of March 2021. This film magnifies the action of the Wagner Group, the famous private military company (SMP), close to the Kremlin, in a way, a corporate film. Since the end of the French operation Sangaris in 2016, the Central African Republic has turned increasingly to Russia, which takes the opportunity to push its pawns by launching, in particular, various anti-French and anti-Western campaigns. On the ground, we find the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (Minusca), a little over 11,000 soldiers), the European Union Training Mission in Centrafrica, which trains the Central African army and a small contingent Rwandan soldiers. As for China, it takes care of the training of police officers, while discreetly strengthening its economic footprint. CAR is a potentially rich country, especially in diamonds and minerals. This film is apparently financed by the nebula of Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Putinian oligarch. The same runs the “Wagner Group”, active in particular in Syria and Ukraine. In Africa, in addition to the CAR, we have seen it particularly in Libya, Mozambique and Sudan. In the Central African Republic, the “Wagnerians” take care of the training of the Central African Armed Forces (Facas) and act as close guard for President Touadéra. Evgueni Prigozhin is also various companies linked to the Internet world, which have tried to influence various electoral campaigns, in the United States in particular. The Riafan.ru news agency, close to Evgueni Prigozhin, sees it as “the first work of joint creation between Moscow and Bangui, which once again confirms the friendship of the two peoples”. The film is shot in real settings. Thus, we enter the Berengo Palace, former residence of Emperor Bokassa, now the Headquarters of the instructors. We sail in Bangui, we find ourselves in the middle of the bush, etc. The Facas lent their men for the figuration, the Wagner Group its equipment. Some mercenaries would even be present in the film, playing their own role. The film is broadcast a few days later in Russia, on the NTV channel, at one hour, admittedly, late. Many African websites and newspapers talk about it, etc. Several major international media, from CNN to TV5 Monde, are talking about the matter. Through these various devices, the promoters of “Tourist” intend to make it a vector that goes beyond the Central African framework and that seems to work quite well. The film comes, in a way, to complete the information and communication system set up in the CAR. Russia has developed various newspapers and Internet media there, buying articles from local journalists (a common practice in many countries and not unique to Russia).
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