Patriotic Rally for the Renewal of the Central African Republic | |
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Rassemblement Patriotique pour le Renouveau de la Centrafrique | |
Leaders | Damane Zakaria (until 2022) Herbert Gontran Djono Ahaba [1] |
Dates of operation | 2014–2022 |
Split from | Séléka |
Headquarters | Tiringoulou Bria (until 2021) |
Active regions | Haute-Kotto, Vakaga, Bamingui-Bangoran subprefectures |
Allies | MLCJ |
Opponents | FPRC (sometimes) Wagner Group (2022) |
Battles and wars | 2020 N'Délé clashes |
Patriotic Rally for the Renewal of the Central African Republic (RPRC, French : Rassemblement Patriotique pour le Renouveau de la Centrafrique) was an armed group in the Central African Republic based inthe northern part of the country, in Ouadda and Sam Ouandja in Haute-Kotto and Tiringoulou in Vakaga. [2]
RPRC was formed in November 2014 as a split faction from FPRC armed group. It was initially based in Bria. [2] In October 2016 RPRC created a coalition together with FPRC, MPC and Anti-balaka against UPC. [2] In June 2017, infighting broke out between RPRC and FPRC leading to distancing between those two groups. [2] In May 2018 RPRC formally reconciled with the UPC armed group. [2] As of 2018, RPRC reportedly controlled the Bria-Ouadda road, maintaining checkpoints alongside the road and taxing imports of $1,400 and exports of $25,000. [3]
In February 2019, RPRC was one of the signatories of a peace agreement with the government. [2] On 28 May 2019 a splinter group from RPRC, Party of the Rally of the Central African Nation, was created. [4]
In March 2020, RPRC together with MLCJ attacked N'Délé, a stronghold of FPRC. On 11 March 2020, more than 40 civilians were killed in one attack on N'Délé. On 29 April, RPRC and MLCJ once again attacked N'Délé killing 37 civilians. They were eventually forced to withdraw on 10 May. [2] On 19 May, MINUSCA arrested nine RPRC fighters in N'Délé, including General Azor Kalité, while they were trying to escape to Tirigoulou. They were transferred two days later to Bangui. They have been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. [5] On 25 May, MINUSCA arrested two RPRC fighters 16 km from N'Délé followed by another two days later including General Amar. [6]
On 12 February 2022, the group's leader, Damane Zakaria, together with 20 other RPRC fighters, was killed by Russian mercenaries in Ouadda. [7] On 4 December 2022 official dissolution of the group was signed in Bangui. [8]
N'Délé or Ndele is a market town and sub prefecture in the north eastern Central African Republic, lying east of the Bamingui-Bangoran National Park. Ndélé is the capital of Bamingui-Bangoran, one of the 16 prefectures of the Central African Republic. N'Délé had a population of 10,850 as of the 2003 census; and a calculated 2013 population of 13,704.
Birao is the capital of Vakaga, one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic and was an administrative post in the colony of Ubangui-Shari. In March 2007, the town was almost completely burnt down in the fighting between rebels and government troops in the area.
Ouadda is a town located in the Central African Republic prefecture of Haute-Kotto.
Ippy is a town located in the Central African Republic prefecture of Ouaka, near the geographic center of the country. It is 364 kilometers from the city of Bangui directly. Driving distance, however, is 496 kilometers.
Ouanda Djallé is a sub-prefecture and town in the prefecture of Vakaga in the Central African Republic. It is located 130 km south of Birao. By population it is one of the smallest sub-prefectures in the country.
Movement of Central African Liberators for Justice was a rebel group in the Central African Republic led by Abakor Sabone. The group had splintered from the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity and was involved in fighting in the Central African Republic Bush War. The group mainly drew from the Kara ethnic group.
The Democratic Front of the Central African People was an anti-government militia in the Central African Republic (CAR). It was one of the major combatants in the CAR Bush War and a member of the Séléka CPSK-CPJP-UFDR alliance of militant groups that overthrew the national government in March 2013.
The following is a timeline of events during the Central African Republic Civil War.
In 2020 heavy clashes between ex-Séléka groups erupted in N'Délé in Central African Republic. Fighting was largely along ethnic lines between Rounga factions of FPRC and ethnically Goula and Kara rebel groups.
Nzacko or Nzako is a village located in the Central African Republic prefecture of Mbomou on the road between Bakouma and Bria.
Sam Ouandja is a town located in the Central African Republic prefecture of Haute-Kotto near the border with Sudan. It has historically served as important arms trafficking hub for armed groups in Central African Republic. Artisanal diamond mining is also active in the commune.
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.
Haroun Gaye is a Central African warlord, general in the Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central African Republic (FPRC), sanctioned by international institutions.
Party of the Rally of the Central African Nation is an armed group in the Central African Republic based in the northern part of the country. It is a splinter group of Patriotic Rally for the Renewal of the Central African Republic.
Abdoulaye Hissène is a former Central African warlord, general in the Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central African Republic (FPRC), minister of youth, sanctioned by international institutions for committing multiple war crimes.
Mahamat Saleh Adoum Kette is a Central African warlord, and a general in the rebel group Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central African Republic (FPRC). He is responsible for multiple war crimes including murder, rape, forced marriage, torture and looting.
On 12 August 2016 35 ex-Séléka fighters escaped besieged PK5 district in Bangui and after travelling more than 600 km and clashing multiple times with security forces some of them managed to reach rebel-controlled towns of Kaga-Bandoro and N'Délé, some were killed and 11 were arrested and sentenced to life in prison.
The battle of Nzacko took place from March 5, 2022 to May 25, 2022, with Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC) fighters from the Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central African Republic (FPRC) and Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC) fighting against FACA and allied Wagner Group mercenaries.
On January 3, 2021, rebels from the CPC coalition and FPRC attacked Bangassou, the capital of Mbomou, Central African Republic, sparking clashes with MINUSCA peacekeepers. The CPC captured Bangassou within hours on January 3, forcing thousands of civilians to flee to the Democratic Republic of the Congo or to the MINUSCA base in Bangassou. The CPC abandoned the city on January 17 following an ultimatum by MINUSCA. The battle of Bangassou was part of a larger series of CPC attacks on Central African cities during and after the 2020–21 Central African general election.