CAR: Increased tensions in Bouar (Nana-Mambere prefecture) following rebel attacks on June 8

Event

Suspected Return, Complaint and Rehabilitation (3R) rebels attacked a military camp in Wantiguira near the Nana-Mambere prefecture town of Bouar on Monday, June 8, amid a surge in violence in the region. At least five rebels were killed in the attack on a training base used by the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) and pro-government Mixed Security Units (USMS) militia on Monday night (local time), with 17 security personnel being injured in the incident. Simultaneous 3R attacks also hit several other areas in Nana-Mambere prefecture at around the same time on Monday night, but it is unclear whether there were any casualties from these attacks.

Multiple attacks attributed to 3R rebels have been reported in recent days, including an attack on UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) peacekeepers near the Ouham-Pende prefecture town of Paoua early on Tuesday, June 9. The attacks have seen an increase in tensions across Nana-Mambere and Ouham-Pende in anticipation of further rebel activity, with hundreds of people reported to have fled remote communities in some areas.

Further rebel attacks and associated security operations are likely in Nana-Mambere and Ouham-Pende in the medium term.

Context

The Central African Republic (CAR) has suffered recurrent bouts of civil conflict since December 2012, which has led to hundreds of deaths and almost 700,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), and has pushed more than 500,000 people to seek refuge in neighboring Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Chad. Although a peace agreement between armed groups and the government was signed in February 2019, clashes between various armed groups continue to be reported.

Advice

Those present in the CAR are advised to monitor developments, maintain a high degree of situational awareness, and remain vigilant for potential rebel activity in their own area of operations.

A number of Western governments advise their citizens against travel to most of the east of the country for various security reasons, including the presence of armed groups.