CAR: Three Russian citizens killed in Sibut July 31

Event

According to local sources, the bodies of three Russian citizens were found on Tuesday, July 31, by UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) soldiers in Sibut (central CAR). Some media reports claim that the victims were filming a documentary on Russian military contractors operating in the country. As of Wednesday, August 1, the Russian government has not confirmed if they were accredited journalists. No group has claimed responsibility for the killings; details are still emerging.

Context

The Russian government has reinforced its presence and operations in the country since the beginning of 2018. Russian soldiers have been reportedly training Central African troops and conducting security operations in the country.

The Central African Republic (CAR) has suffered recurrent bouts of civil conflict since December 2012, which has led to hundreds of deaths, created almost 700,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), and pushed more than 500,000 people to seek refuge in neighboring Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Chad. Clashes between various armed groups continue to be reported on a regular basis despite the June 2017 signing of a ceasefire agreement between CAR government and 13 out of the 14 rebel groups present in the country.

Numerous Western governments issued updated travel advisories in April due to the current degraded security situation. France issued an advisory recommending its citizens avoid all nonessential travel to the country while the British government began advising against nonessential travel to central Bangui and against all travel to the rest of the country. The US also issued a security alert urging their citizens to avoid the capital Bangui's PK5 neighborhood and 7th arrondissement.

Advice

Individuals present in CAR are advised to monitor local developments, maintain a high degree of situational awareness, and remain vigilant for potential militant activity.

In general, a number of western governments advise their citizens against travel to the east and northeast of the country for various security reasons, including the presence of armed groups and ongoing conflicts.