Parcel bomb injures Russian official in CAR, Wagner chief blames France for attack

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The head of a Russian cultural centre in the Central African Republic (CAR) was injured by a parcel bomb in the capital city of Bangui, the news agency AFP reported quoting an embassy spokesman.

As quoted by state news agency TASS, the spokesman for the Russian embassy said: "This morning, an attempt was made on the life of the director general of the Russian House, Dmitry Sergeevich Sytyi, he is in hospital."

Dmitry Syty, the head of the "Russian House" culture centre, had opened the mail bomb on Friday which was addressed to him from an anonymous sender.

According to news agencies, the official received serious injuries and was taken to the hospital.

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After the attack, the Russian foreign ministry said that the parcel bombing was an attempt to "harm" ties between Moscow and Bangui.

As quoted by the news agency, "We strongly condemn this criminal action, which is clearly intended to hinder the activities of the Russian House in Bangui and, more broadly, to harm the successful development of friendly relations between our two countries," the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, asked Moscow to declare France a "sponsor of terrorism" in the aftermath of the parcel bomb incident.

In a statement released by his company, Concord, Prigozhin said, "I have already requested the Russian foreign ministry to initiate the procedure to declare France a state sponsor of terrorism."

(With inputs from agencies)

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