• A UN report reveals that the predominantly Christian terrorist groups WTA and Azanikpigbe have committed summary executions against Muslims.
• In response, MINUSCA has intensified efforts to protect civilians, deployed additional forces, and advocated for greater security measures.
Investigations by the UN human rights office (OHCHR) and the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSCA, has evidenced summary executions, sexual violence and torture against Muslims and Sudanese refugees. These heinous crimes have been committed by predominately Christian terrorist groups Wagner Ti Azandé (WTA) and Azandé Ani Kpi Gbe (Azanikpigbe).
Other violations include cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment, forced labour, and the looting of homes and businesses.
The Central African Republic (CAR) has endured decades of instability and communal violence fuelled by religious and ethnic divisions. UN assessments indicate that one in five individuals is either internally displaced or has sought refuge outside the country’s borders due to ongoing conflict. The violence has also inflicted severe damage on essential infrastructure, including schools and hospitals. Additionally, the civil war in Sudan and escalating tensions in southern Chad have contributed to an influx of refugees, asylum seekers, and returnees, further burdening the already strained regions of CAR.
The report specified two waves of attacks in the Mbomou and Haut-Mbomou prefectures, in October 2024 and January 2025, in which, at least 24 people were killed, including victims who had been summarily executed.
The barbaric attacks were coordinated by elements of Wagner Ti Azandé (WTA), an armed group with ties to the national army. WTA originally belonged to another armed group named Azandé Ani Kpi Gbé (Azanikpigbe), whose members were also involved in the attacks.
In early October, both groups launched attacks on the towns of Dembia and Rafaï in the Mbomou prefecture, primarily targeting the Fulani pastoral community, other Muslims, and a camp housing Sudanese refugees and asylum-seekers.
In Dembia, fighters from WTA and Azanikpigbe publicly executed a 36-year-old Fulani man, instilling widespread fear among the population. Seven additional Fulani men were bound and thrown alive into the Ouara River. The attackers also committed horrific acts of sexual violence, with at least 24 victims, including 14 women and seven girls, subjected to rape. On January 21, a separate assault on a Fulani camp near Mboki in Haut-Mbomou resulted in the deaths of at least 12 individuals.
Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, emphasised the urgent need for justice for the perpetrators. “These horrible crimes must not go unpunished. Accountability is fundamental to ensuring such violations never happen again,” he stated, urging clarity on the ties between the WTA group and the national army, as well as full transparency regarding the group’s actions and its legality. “If this is not possible, the group should be disarmed.”
The report revealed that at least 14 members of the WTA were arrested in Mboki and Bangui following the attack on the Fulani camp near Mboki.
The report also noted the limited presence of State security forces in parts of the Mbomou and Haut-Mbomou prefectures, which has contributed to the climate of impunity. Valentine Rugwabiza, head of MINUSCA, cautioned that despite ongoing efforts by the Government and the Mission, the situation in these regions remains deeply troubling. “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.
In response to the violence, MINUSCA has escalated its efforts to safeguard civilians and support the restoration of State authority in the affected regions. Since October 2024, the Mission has deployed forces to Dembia, establishing a temporary operational base. In January, it also advocated for additional Central African Armed Forces (FACA) personnel to bolster security.
Furthermore, MINUSCA facilitated a visit by the regional governor to Dembia in November, fostering dialogue and reconciliation among local communities. The Central African Government has taken measures to address the violence, including the arrest of several WTA members, and has announced plans to establish a Tribunal of Grande Instance in Zémio, aimed at providing justice to affected communities and combating impunity.
