March 2022 attacks in the Central African Republic

March 2022 attacks in the Central African Republic
Part of Central African Republic Civil War
Date 6–18 March 2022 Location Vakaga and Bamingui-Bangoran, Central African Republic
Belligerents
Wagner Group   Central African Republic	FPRC MLCJ RPRC Anti-balaka
Commanders and leaders
	Noureddine Adam Baba Amibe   †
Casualties and losses
4+ killed	8+ killed
100s killed, 1000s displaced

Map of places mentioned

100km
62miles

Tiri

Ouanda Djallé

Gordil

Am Dafock

Birao

Sikkikede

Tirigoulou

Boromata

Gounda

N'Délé

  

In March 2022 Russian mercenaries from Wagner Group supported by armed forces launched an offensive against armed groups in the northeastern parts of the Central African Republic (CAR) during which they killed dozens of rebels and possibly hundreds of civilians including citizens of Chad, Niger, Sudan and CAR who were working there as artisanal miners, herders and camel drivers while displacing thousands. The events have been described by multiple sources including domestic in the Central African Republic as well as in Sudan based on survivor testimony.

Timeline of events

From 6 to 9 March armed forces conducted operation against rebels from Coalition of Patriots for Change in Ndah in Vakaga prefecture as well as in Bamingui-Bangoran on Chari axis against Anti-balaka and other CPC-affiliated groups. On 9 March in Tiri area armed forces clashes with local herders after altercation. ^[1]

On 11 March 2022 Russian mercenaries from Wagner Group left the town of N'Délé heading north. In Gounda village they were stopped by over a dozen rebels from Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central African Republic (FPRC). They clashed for two hours after which the rebels were forced to retreat after running out of ammunition. Four Russians and six rebels were killed as well as two civilians hit by bullets while trying to escape. After the battle Russians continued towards Gordil village. ^[2]

After arriving in Gordil on 13 March ^[3] they started conducting door to door searches. When civilian population started panicking they opened fire ^[4] killing at least 20 people. ^[3] Meanwhile another group of Russians attacked Tiringoulou village where they killed 12 people including FPRC general Baba Amibe with his wife and three children. ^[4] They also killed local village chief. Meanwhile in Sam Ouandja one rebel fighters was killed. ^[5]

On the night from 14 to 15 March Russian mercenaries arrived in Sikkikede village in Vakaga where they clashed with rebels from FPRC, RPRC and MLCJ. At least 20 people were killed on both sides and some houses and shops caught fire. Many civilians fled to Birao and Chad. ^[6] From there Russians continued towards Boromata where they clashed with local rebels before finally arriving in Birao. ^[7] They killed three herders in Boromata. ^[5] When they arrived on 15 March in Birao local rebels from MLCJ and RPRC armed group withdrew from the town towards border with Sudan. ^[8] On the same day they arrived in Ouanda Djallé village. ^[9] Then Russians continued towards Am Dafok village on the border with Sudan however they stopped 30 km from the village after receiving phone call from Bangui and turned around to return to N'Délé. ^[7] Before retreating they killed nine camel drivers. ^[5]

At 1 April it was reported that 523 refugees have arrived in N'dele from Bamingui-Bangoran and Vakaga following clashes. ^[1]

On 11 and 12 April Russian mercenaries again went to Gordil and Ndah villages where they killed between 10 and 22 people and burned motorcycles. UN subsequently launched investigation into the killings. ^{[10] [11]}

Massacre of artisanal miners

Between 14 and 18 March 2022 Russian mercenaries attacked civilians in mining areas in the area according to survivors who fled to Sudan. Hundreds of people were possibly killed and thousands displaced with artisanal miners losing millions of US dollars worth of property. Among those killed were citizens of Sudan, Chad, Niger and the Central African Republic. ^[12] According to one of the survivors interviewed by Middle East Eye reporter, Adam Zakaria, Russians attacked mining sites around Andaha with attack helicopters, tanks and armed 4x4 vehicles. He said 50 people including six members of his family were killed and that mercenaries tracked refugees until they reached Sudan. Another survivor, Zakaria Mohamed Abdallah, described Russian attack on Silonka near Andaha. He said that he saw at least 20 bodies and that he was looted while fleeing on a motorcycle towards border crossing of Am Dafock. Haroun Adam said that Russians supported by government fighters attacked miners in different locations in and around Andaha killing dozens of people from Chad and Sudan. ^[12]

In the interview with Darfur24, Adam Zakaria Abkar (possibly the same person as in previous paragraph) said that Russians attacked artisanal miners in Gordil while they were returning from grinding stones that would be used for extracting gold. Residents of the Gordil village buried bodies of those killed in local cemeteries. Adam Zakaria said that he managed to escape Wagner after fleeing to the bush, while nine other people who tried to escape were killed. He also said that thirteen people from his village went missing after escaping. In Bulbul Abu Jazo village in South Darfur prayer was held for four of village residents who were killed in the Central African Republic. ^[3] According to another survivor interviewed by Darfur24, Hussein Abu Nidal, on 14 March four Sudanese approached Russian base and soldiers shot them killing three. According to unnamed eyewitness unknown armed men attacked the Andha mine day after that. ^[13]

References

1. "République centrafricaine (RCA) : Matrice de suivi des déplacements - Suivi des urgences (ETT) Ndele - Tableau de bord #7 (1 - 4 avril 2022)". IOM.
2. Banafio, Moïse (14 March 2022). "RCA : violent affrontement entre les éléments du FPRC et les mercenaires russes dans le village Gonda, vers Ndélé" [CAR: Violent clash between FPRC elements and Russian mercenaries in Gonda village, near Ndélé] (in French). Corbeau News Centrafrique. Archived from the original on 4 April 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
3. "شهود لدارفور24: القتلى بأيدي القوات الروسية بمناجم افريقيا الوسطى فاق العشرين" [Witnesses to Darfur 24: More than twenty were killed by Russian forces in Central African mines] (in Arabic). Darfur24. 20 March 2022. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
4. Banafio, Moïse (15 March 2022). "RCA : nouveau massacre à Gordile, dans la Vakaga, au moins 15 personnes tuées" [CAR: new massacre in Gordil, in Vakaga, at least 15 people killed] (in French). Corbeau News Centrafrique. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
5. Bensimon, Cyril (29 March 2022). "L'implication russe en Centrafrique bousculée par la guerre en Ukraine" [Russian involvement in the Central African Republic disrupted by the war in Ukraine] (in French). Le Monde. Archived from the original on 4 April 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
6. Banafio, Moïse (16 March 2022). "République centrafricaine, violent combat dans la Vakaga, plusieurs morts" [Central African Republic, fierce fighting in the Vakaga, several dead] (in French). Corbeau News Centrafrique. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
7. Gisèle, Moloma (20 March 2022). "En Centrafrique, une partie des mercenaires russes commence à quitter le pays" [In the Central African Republic, part of the Russian mercenaries begins to leave the country] (in French). Corbeau News Centrafrique. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
8. "Birao Centrafrique. Comment convaincre les habitants et combattants rebelles des régions rurales qu'ils peuvent déposer les armes ?". Facebook . Archived from the original on 2022-04-07. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
9. OUADDA DJALLÉ (VAKAGA) 15.03.22: GRAND MERCI pour l'arrivée des forces loyalistes et AMIS RUSSES en ce moment dans la ville et basée principalement à l'ancienne base de la gendarmerie non loin de l'hôpital, Centre D'appel 1320
10. Banafio, Moïse (13 April 2022). "Centrafrique : nouveau massacre dans la Vakaga, un bilan humain terrifiant" [Central African Republic: new massacre in the Vakaga, a terrifying human toll] (in French). Corbeau News Centrafrique.
11. "Centrafrique: l'ONU enquête sur les meurtres présumés de civils" [Central African Republic: UN investigates alleged killings of civilians] (in French). TV5Monde. 15 April 2022. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
12. Amin, Mohammed (5 April 2022). "Russian mercenaries near Sudan accused of killing hundreds as African gold rush intensifies". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
13. "3 Sudanese killed by Russian forces in the Central Africa Republic". Darfur24. 20 March 2022. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.