On Tuesday, local officials reported that gunmen had killed 13 civilians in an attack on a remote village in the troubled Central African Republic (CAR). The incident occurred in Diki, near the country’s northwest border with Chad, where approximately 20 rebels carried out the attack. The regional prefect, Jean Gilbert Gbangoudou, provided details of the assault.
The village mayor, Ibrahim Senoussi, confirmed the death toll and mentioned that two individuals were injured in the attack. The assailants, after gathering the men of the village under the pretense of holding a conversation, opened fire, resulting in the tragic loss of lives. Subsequently, the women and children in the village fled into the nearby bush to seek safety.
The incident took place approximately 22 kilometers (14 miles) away from an army base in Bamingui-Bangoran prefecture, although the soldiers were reportedly alerted only after the attack had occurred. The CAR government and the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSCA had not yet responded to requests for information at the time of reporting.
The Central African Republic is a mineral-rich but deeply impoverished landlocked country plagued by a history of civil strife spanning a decade. The recent bloodshed came one day after a referendum on a new constitution that proposed extending President Faustin-Archange Touadera’s mandate from five to seven years and abolishing the two-term limit. The referendum was met with opposition from various groups, including armed rebels, who called for a boycott and accused Touadera of seeking to hold onto the presidency indefinitely.
In 2020, Touadera secured a second five-year term after a contentious election overshadowed by an offensive from armed rebel groups. However, they faced resistance from Rwandan troops and operatives from Russia’s Wagner mercenary force, which largely forced the rebels into rural areas. The CAR continues to grapple with political instability and violence, making it one of the most tumultuous countries in the world.
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