Bruno Foucher, France's 65-year-old Ambassador to the Central African Republic, is under internal investigation after allegedly hosting a stream of young African women overnight at his official residence in Bangui for sex, in breach of security protocols. The claims, reported by French investigative magazine Le Canard enchaîné, are significant given heightened security sensitivities in the country, where Russia's Wagner group maintains a strong presence and Paris has repeatedly accused Moscow of stoking anti-French sentiment. The French Foreign Ministry has confirmed an administrative inquiry took place and that disciplinary proceedings against Foucher are ongoing.

According to the magazine, at least 30 women aged between 20 and 30 passed through the embassy between January 2024 and March 2026, alarming the elite GIGN gendarmes responsible for securing the compound. Investigators are said to have seen an official report in which Foucher admitted to sleeping with at least two local women, one of whom reportedly stayed at the residence while he was away on official duty. Foucher, a career diplomat trained at France's elite ENA school, remains in post and could face dismissal or a severe reprimand; he has not commented publicly. The scandal comes despite recent efforts to improve Franco-CAR relations, including a March visit by Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, the first high-level French visit since 2018.