Wagner Forces Arrive in the Central African Republic
Dozens of Wanger troops replaced those that left earlier this month as Central African Republic prepares for a constitutional referendum; some observers had posited that the earlier troop departures signaled a withdrawal after Wagner Group’s failed rebellion in Russia (Reuters)
Hundreds Protest Constitutional Referendum in the Central African Republic
Around five hundred people marched in a rally against the proposed measures, which include removing a two-term limit for presidents; the vote is set for July 30 (Africa News)
UN Peacekeeper Killed on Patrol in the Central African Republic
Three of the attackers were captured and one killed, but the UN did not blame a specific armed group (Reuters)
Meanwhile, President Faustin Archange Touadera delivered a draft of the new constitution ahead of a July 30 referendum; if approved, it would allow Touadera to run for a third term (Africa News)
CAR: Hundreds of Wagner Troops Rotating, Not Departing
Analysts estimate that six hundred Wagner fighters, some of whom were caught on video, have departed CAR in recent days; a government spokesperson said it was “not a definitive departure but a rotation” and that other troops would replace them, amid speculation that Moscow is purging Wagner after the group’s failed rebellion in late June (NBC;Reuters)
Russian FM: Wagner Presence Up to African Leaders
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said it is for African leaders to decide whether they continue cooperating with the Wagner Group following its failed mutiny against the Russian military; he said that more than half of African leaders are expected to attend a Russia-Africa summit next month (Bloomberg)
Putin Reportedly Moves to Assert Control Over Wagner Operations Worldwide
Following this past weekend’s failed mutiny attempt by the leader of the private military company Wagner Group in Russia, Russian officials reached out to leaders of African and Middle Eastern countries where Wagner operates in an apparent attempt to seize control of the group; Moscow has often denied association with Wagner’s operations in countries such as Mali, and it was not immediately clear if Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attempt to gain control would be successful (WSJ)
United States Sanctions Wagner Group in Central African Republic
The sanctions target four companies accused of funding Wagner activities in the Central African Republic; Washington had already designated Wagner as a significant transnational criminal organization (FP)
Russia FM: Wagner Group Will Continue to Operate in Mali and Central African Republic
Following the group’s mutiny, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wagner’s activities in Africa will continue as normal and Russian relations with those countries will not be affected by recent events; Wagner did not immediately confirm its plans (African News;Moscow Times)
UN: CAR Making Progress on Peace Deal Implementation
Despite humanitarian, human rights, and border security challenges, the MINUSCA peacekeeping force chief said the country has achieved the disbandment of two more armed groups and three militant factions, improving security in a long-held rebel area (UN)
CAR Special Criminal Court (SCC) Releases First Reparations Decision
The court, set up to investigate claims of human rights abuses committed since 2003, awarded reparations for a 2019 attack in which thirty-two people died, and six women were raped; the United States has contributed funding for SCC-awarded reparations (Justice Info;UN)
UN Finds “Credible Evidence” Peacekeepers Committed Sexual Abuse in CAR
The United Nations will send home sixty Tanzanian peacekeepers, eleven of whom are accused of sexual exploitation; two of the victims are children (CNN)
CAR President Announces Referendum on Removing Presidential Term Limits
The constitutional change, set to be voted on in July 2023, would allow President Faustin Archange Touadera to run for a third term in 2025; his allies argue that many neighboring countries do not have presidential term limits (Reuters)
IMF Approves Credit Facility
According to a statement by The International Monetary Fund’s executive board, it has approved a $191 million, thirty-eight-month extended credit arrangement for the Central African Republic, with about a $15 million immediate disbursement (Reuters)
UN: Children in Central African Republic Experience Horrific Abuses
Armed groups, defense and security forces, and private military and security companies abused and brutalized children throughout the Central African Republic, according to independent human rights experts from the UN (VOA)
Protestors Support Russia and China in CAR
After nine Chinese workers were killed in the Central African Republic, nearly two hundred people demonstrated in support of Russia and China; the CAR government has blamed the killings on rebels without evidence, but the rebels are placing blame on Russia’s Wagner group (VOA)
Nine Chinese Nationals Killed
Nine Chinese nationals were killed in an attack by militants at a gold mine outside the city of Bangui; China’s embassy in the CAR said there had been numerous “vicious” security incidents against workers of foreign mining enterprises in the area and urged its citizens to avoid leaving the capital (Reuters)
UN Signs Plan for Election Security
A spokesperson from the UN mission in the Central African Republic said the Government of CAR and the UN stabilization mission signed a plan for election security; this will be the first time since 1988 that voters will be casting ballots in local elections (UN News)
“Russian Instructors” Present in Central African Republic
In an interview with the Russian state-owned news agency RIA, the Russian ambassador to the Central African Republic said there are 1,890 “Russian instructors” currently present in the country; the ambassador also claimed Bangui recently sent an application to the UN Security Council to increase their numbers (Al Jazeera)
Russia to Help Secure Gold-Rich Central African Region
Russian troops will help forces from the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, and Sudan fight off armed groups along those countries’ shared borders, CAR’s livestock minister told Bloomberg (Bloomberg)
Founder of Wagner Group Accuses France of Assassination Attempt in CAR
Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner Group, blamed France for an assassination attempt on Dmitry Syty, the head of a Russian representative office, an allegation that France denied (Reuters)
Syty, who was reported to have direct ties to the Wagner Group, was wounded by a package bomb while in CAR’s capital, Bangui, on Friday (NYT)
Air Attack Targets Wagner Base
Authorities in the Central African Republic (CAR) are investigating an air attack on a base used by Russian mercenaries assisting the country’s military (AP)
UN Extends Peacekeeping Mission in CAR
On Monday, the UN Security Council voted to maintain the UN peacekeeping mission in the CAR by one year with the French-drafted resolution including language urging CAR authorities to implement a robust reconciliation process and cease all attacks on civilians, among other stipulations (WaPo)
Special Criminal Court Issues First Trial Judgement in CAR
Three members of the 3R rebel group were convicted of crimes against humanity and war crimes, the first verdict to be issued by the Special Criminal Court and intended to prosecute human rights violations in the CAR committed since 2003 (U.S. Department of State)
CAR Top Court Official Defies Government-Ordered Retirement
Daniele Darlan, president of the Constitutional Court, refused an order by President Faustin-Archange Touadera for all higher education officials born between 1946 and 1955 to retire by December 31; this came after the court ruled against reforms intended to allow Touadera to run for a third term (Reuters)
Attack Kills Three UN Peacekeepers
A UN peacekeeping vehicle hit a roadside bomb in the northwestern village of Kaita near the border with Cameroon, killing three peacekeepers and injuring several others (Reuters)