A United Nations report has revealed widespread human rights violations by armed groups in southeastern Central African Republic (CAR), with Muslims and Sudanese refugees among the primary targets.
The joint investigation by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) and the UN peacekeeping mission in CAR, MINUSCA, found evidence of summary executions, torture, sexual violence, and forced labor, alongside looting and other abuses.
CAR has long struggled with communal violence, and the latest attacks have worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis. The influx of refugees from Sudan and Chad has placed additional pressure on vulnerable communities, with one in five CAR residents now displaced.
The report documented two waves of attacks in October 2024 and January 2025 in the Mbomou and Haut-Mbomou prefectures. At least 24 people were killed, including victims of summary executions. The violence was reportedly orchestrated by Wagner Ti Azandé (WTA), an armed group linked to the national army, and its affiliate, Azandé Ani Kpi Gbé (Azanikpigbe).
In October, fighters from both groups attacked Dembia and Rafaï, targeting Fulani Muslims and a camp for Sudanese refugees. In one instance, WTA and Azanikpigbe militants publicly executed a 36-year-old Fulani man, instilling fear in the local population. Seven other Fulani men were bound and thrown alive into the Ouara River. The report also documented the rape of at least 14 women and seven girls during the attacks.
Another attack on January 21 at a Fulani camp near Mboki left at least 12 people dead. The violence has prompted calls for justice, with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk demanding accountability.
“These horrible crimes must not go unpunished. Accountability is fundamental to ensuring such violations never happen again,” Türk said, urging transparency on WTA’s ties to the national army and advocating for the group’s disarmament if necessary.
Following the Mboki attack, at least 14 WTA members were arrested in Mboki and Bangui. However, the report noted the absence of state security forces in parts of the affected regions, which has fostered a climate of impunity.
MINUSCA Chief Valentine Rugwabiza warned that failure to respond effectively could reverse security gains and deepen divisions among communities.
“Failure to adequately respond to these crimes would undermine the hard-earned security gains and further erode social cohesion in areas where efforts have been made with communities to defuse tensions and promote peaceful coexistence,” Rugwabiza stated.
In response, MINUSCA has increased its presence in the region, deploying forces to Dembia and advocating for reinforcements from the Central African Armed Forces (FACA). The Central African government has also announced plans to establish a Tribunal of Grande Instance in Zémio to ensure justice for victims and combat impunity.
