Russian Wagner chief asks Macron to ensure son of Russian House head in Africa safe

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) – The head of the Wagner paramilitary group asked French President Emmanuel Macron to ensure adequate protection for the son of the head of the Russian House in the Central African Republic.

“He (Dmitry Syty, the father) has been involved in many efforts to fight terrorism in Africa. On December 16, 2022, an attack was perpetrated against him. The thugs placed an explosive in a package that contained threats of assassination of his son,” Yevgeny Prigozhin wrote in a letter shared on his Telegram account on Saturday, which addressed Macron.

In the letter, Prigozhin said that Syty’s son is a French citizen and currently resides in France.

“I would like to ask you to order to ensure adequate protection for the son of Dmitry Syty from the terrorists who attempted to commit an attack against (him),” Prigozhin further said.

The Russian House head was hospitalized after he opened an anonymous package containing explosives on Dec. 16, the Russian Embassy in Bangui said on Facebook.

Syty had previously received threats to kill him and his family if Russia did not stop cooperating with the Central African Republic, according to the statement, which also condemned the attack on the Russian House that it described as “an act of aggression targeting Russian-Central African friendship.”

Prigozhin, however, earlier asked the Russian Foreign Ministry to launch “a procedure to declare France a state sponsor of terrorism, as well as an in-depth investigation into the terrorist methods of France and its Western allies.”