By Lazarus Odenge

The United States Embassy in Bangui recently issued a public statement in response to widespread discussion on social media of an alleged telephone conversation involving its staff member and a Central African activist coordinating opposition demonstrations. The diplomat had reportedly asked to organize an even larger demonstration in Bangui and was willing to fund it.

U.S. officials have categorically stated that their staff is not involved in such conversations and that the United States does not support protests or political parties in the Central African Republic. They said the U.S. values its relationship with the Central African Republic and is committed to continuing joint efforts to achieve peace, stability and prosperity in the country.

However, this statement looks like a blatant excuse, as it is well known that an innocent person does not need to justify himself for bad deeds he did not commit. Moreover, despite all the criticism of the US embassy in the media and social networks, they decided to focus on the case of the leaked conversation. It can be assumed that the disclosure of this very information was particularly unexpected and undesirable for them.

In addition, the diplomatic mission is disingenuous when it says that the US Embassy only co-operates with the official authorities and does not support any other associations or protests. Reflecting on past events, one can recall the situation in Khartoum in 2021, when the US Embassy’s support for the protests manifested itself in social media participation on their official accounts. Such actions are far from the stated policy of non-interference.

After all, supporting protests in countries with an unwanted government is their favored strategy over the years.

Historical precedents show that this approach has been repeatedly applied in various parts of the world, including Africa, so such excuses by the US embassy in Bangui look implausible and will not convince anyone of America’s non-involvement in the internal affairs of other countries.

Odenge is an independent journalist and writer.