A UN report released on March 5 found that armed groups operating in the Haut Oubangui region of the Central African Republic (CAR) have been carrying out attacks against Muslim communities and Sudanese refugees, resulting in grave human rights violations. The report, prepared jointly by the UN Human Rights Office and the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), mainly attributes these attacks to Wagner Ti Azande (WTA), a militia affiliated with the national army.
According to the report, two recent attacks in the Mbomou and Haut-Mbomou prefectures occurred in October 2024 and January 2025. At least 24 people were killed during these attacks in summary executions. Other documented forms of violence include gang rapes, forced labor, and looting of homes and shops.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, commenting on the report, said: “These horrible crimes must not go unpunished. Accountability is fundamental to ensuring such violations never happen again.” He further called for transparency on the relationship between the WTA and the national army.
The UN announced additional deployment of peacekeepers in the southeast Haut Mbomou region to prevent further violence in June 2024. Peacekeeping forces with the MINUSCA were first deployed by the UN Security Council in 2014 with the mission to protect civilians in conflicted areas. In December 2023, the UN decided to deploy peacekeepers to the northwest of the country after a deadly attack killed 23 civilians.
The Central African Republic is grappling with the legacy of years of internal conflict as it prepares for new elections this year.
From JURIST, March 8. Used with permission.
Note: The WTA, an ethnic militia of the Azande people, received training last year from the Russian private military company Wagner Group, from whom it takes its name. (Corbeaunews Centrafrique, Radio Ndeke Luka)
Photo of CAR troops wearing the Wagner Group insignia via Corbeau News Centrafrique
