UN Report Reveals Atrocities Committed by Armed Groups in Southeastern CAR

The report outlines two significant waves of attacks in the Mbomou and Haut-Mbomou prefectures in October 2024 and January 2025, resulting in at least 24 deaths.

A recent United Nations report has exposed grave human rights violations committed by armed groups, including one affiliated with the Central African Republic’s national army, in the Haut Oubangui Region. The report, compiled by the UN Human Rights Office and the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), details atrocities primarily targeting Muslim communities, as well as Sudanese refugees and asylum-seekers.

The report outlines two significant waves of attacks in the Mbomou and Haut-Mbomou prefectures in October 2024 and January 2025, resulting in at least 24 deaths. Several victims were summarily executed. The perpetrators of these attacks were identified as members of Wagner Ti Azandé (WTA), an armed group with ties to the national army, and Azandé Ani Kpi Gbé (Azanikpigbe), a separate militia group that collaborated in the assaults.

Among the documented violations are cases of conflict-related sexual violence, including gang rape, forced labour, and torture. Reports of looting and the destruction of homes and commercial establishments further highlight the extent of the violence.

“These horrible crimes must not go unpunished. Accountability is fundamental to ensuring such violations never happen again,” stated UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. He urged the Central African authorities to clarify WTA’s connections to the national army and to ensure full transparency regarding its operations. “If this is not possible, the group should be disarmed,” he added.

Valentine Rugwabiza, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of MINUSCA, emphasized the risks of inaction. “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,” she warned.

The October attacks targeted the towns of Dembia and Rafaï in Mbomou Prefecture, with victims mainly from the Fulani Muslim community and a Sudanese refugee camp. According to the report, WTA and Azanikpigbe militants publicly executed a 36-year-old Fulani man upon arrival in Dembia, instilling fear among the population. Seven more Fulani men were bound and thrown alive into the Ouara River.

Sexual violence was also widespread, with 24 documented victims, including 14 women and seven girls who were raped, mainly in gang assaults. Some victims were subjected to forced labor, while one woman was forcibly married to an attacker.

Another attack took place on January 21, 2025, when armed WTA members raided a Fulani camp near Mboki in Haut-Mbomou, killing at least 12 people. Following this incident, 14 WTA members were arrested in Mboki and Bangui.

The report underscores that the limited presence of State security forces in the affected regions has allowed groups such as WTA and Azanikpigbe to act with impunity.

Both Türk and Rugwabiza urged the Central African government to intensify efforts to investigate these crimes and prosecute those responsible, in accordance with international legal standards. They reaffirmed their commitment to working alongside the authorities to protect human rights and combat impunity in the country.