UN report released on Wednesday found 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 human rights violations.
The report, prepared 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), an armed group 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 against females, forced labor, and looting of homes and shops.
The report also highlights the lack of robust State security presence in these prefectures, which creates room for armed groups to act with impunity.
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 links between the WTA group and the national army, and the legitimacy of the group’s actions.
The UN announced additional deployment of UN peacekeepers in the southeast Haut Mbomou region to prevent further violence in June 2024. Peacekeeping forces with the MINUSCA were deployed by the UN Security Council in 2014 with the mission to protect civilians in times of human rights crises. In December 2023,the UN decided to deploy peacekeepers to the northwest of the country after a deadly attack killed 23 civilians. Since October 2024, it has set up temporary operational bases and deployed forces in regions like Dembia.
The Central African Republic, which shares its borders with other African nations like Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo, has long been the site of conflict due to its strategic location and intercommunal tensions.