The United Nations’ mission in the Central African Republic issued a call on Wednesday urging rebels and militias to halt hostilities immediately, following clashes that have resulted in the deaths of at least 30 individuals this month.
Although the country’s bloody civil war, which erupted in 2013, has significantly subsided since 2018, sporadic outbreaks persist between armed rebel factions and the national army, backed by the Russian Wagner group and local militia units.
Both international NGOs and the United Nations routinely accuse all parties involved in the conflict of perpetrating crimes and human rights abuses against civilians.
The UN’s MINUSCA mission, in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, strongly denounced the brutal killings carried out by armed elements in April.
MINUSCA’s peacekeeping force, established in 2014, comprises approximately 14,000 troops from various contributing countries operating within the Central African Republic.
According to a MINUSCA communique, on April 2, presumed members of the 3R rebel movement allegedly massacred 24 civilians, including women and children, in the town of Lime in the country’s northwest region.
Additionally, the bodies of four civilians were discovered on April 13 in the southeast, while an unspecified number of deceased individuals were found on April 14 in the western part of the country.
In its official statement, MINUSCA urged armed groups and self-defense forces to cease hostilities and violence immediately, emphasizing that civilians bear the brunt of the conflict’s impact.
Notably, in December 2020, President Faustin Archange Touadera sought assistance from Moscow as rebel forces advanced towards the capital city of Bangui.
In response, hundreds of Wagner paramilitaries were deployed to bolster the existing contingent already stationed in the country.
