Central African Republic: UN peacekeepers disperse former Seleka militants

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Central African Republic | 11 March 2017

As reported by Reuters on 26 February 2017, the UN peacekeeping forces in the Central African Republic (CAR) have conducted an operation against 40 fighters belonging to the Popular Front for the Renaissance of CAR (FPRC). This is one of two rival militant groups made up of former Seleka militants; the other is the Union for Peace in CAR (UPC). The two mainly Islamic factions fell out over territory issues and the control of illicit tax revenues. According to Reuters, the FPRC fighters were armed with AK-47s and rocket propelled grenades and were about to attack UPC forces in the town of Bambari. Yonas Dembele, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, comments: "This incident shows that former Seleka fighters are still armed and threaten the fragile peace. The security situation remains tenuous and the continued existence of these militias poses a serious threat to the safety of Christians in the predominantly Muslim parts of the country. While the UN peacekeeping mission can play an important role in providing a degree of protection from these groups, in the long run, only their effective disarmament can really bring lasting relief."