The United Nations is urging accountability in the Central African Republic (CAR) following the discovery of grave human rights violations committed by armed groups. A report by the Human Rights Office and the UN mission in the country, MINUSCA, emphasized the necessity of ensuring such violations never recur.

The report revealed that at least 24 people were killed in two waves of attacks in the Mbomou and Haut-Mbomou prefectures in October last year and this past January. Among the victims were individuals who had been summarily executed.

The attacks were orchestrated by elements of Wagner Ti Azandé (WTA), an armed group with ties to the national army. WTA was originally part of another armed group called Azandé Ani Kpi Gbé, whose members also participated in the attacks.

Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated, “Armed groups, including one affiliated with the country’s armed forces, committed grave human rights violations, mainly against Muslim communities and Sudanese refugees and asylum-seekers.” The report documented instances of sexual violence, including gang rape, forced labor, torture, and other forms of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, as well as the looting of homes and commercial stores.

Al-Kheetan emphasized that these “horrible crimes” must not go unpunished and reiterated the UN’s readiness to collaborate with authorities to promote and protect human rights and combat impunity in the country. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called for clarification of the ties between the WTA group and the army, and for full transparency regarding the group’s actions. “If this is not possible,” he said, “the group should be disarmed.”

The CAR has endured decades of instability and communal violence along religious and ethnic lines. UN assessments indicate that one in five people are displaced internally or outside the country’s borders due to the conflict. The fighting has also severely impacted vital infrastructure, including schools and hospitals.

In response to the violence, MINUSCA has intensified efforts to protect civilians and support the restoration of state authority in the affected regions report reveals brutal attacks targeting Muslims, refugees in Central African Republic.

EN ESTA NOTA: