Home › Politics › US sanctions on Belarus, and Russia's Africa deployment
US sanctions on Belarus, and Russia's Africa deployment
Summary
A look back at two reported moves, in Belarus and the Central African Republic, in the days before 24 December 2020.
What did the reports available on 24 December 2020 show about pressure on Belarus and Russia's reach abroad? Two items, both from the preceding days, stood out.
On 23 December 2020, the Trump administration imposed additional sanctions on Belarusian officials and four offices. The measures were tied to human rights abuses during protests against President Alexander Lukashenko. They formed part of the international reaction to the 2020 Belarusian presidential election and the protests that followed.
Two days earlier, on 21 December 2020, Rwanda deployed what it called a "protection force" to the Central African Republic. Its peacekeepers had been attacked by rebel forces advancing on the capital, Bangui. The Rwandan and Central African Republic governments accused former President François Bozizé of backing the rebels and plotting a coup, which he denied. Russia also sent troops and heavy weaponry to support the government.
The two developments were separate, and the reports did not link them. Together they show Washington using sanctions in response to the Belarusian crackdown, while Russia moved troops and weapons to back a government facing rebel attack in Central Africa.
