The government has confirmed the deployment of a group of “Russian instructors” to Obo, in the Haut-Mbomou province, in the southeastern tip of the country. This marks a first in this remote region where Wagner Group personnel have never been established in the five years they have been in the country.
The region has experienced multiple violent incidents over the past year between a local self-defense group and the UPC rebels, a member of the CPC coalition. The Wagner Group may have several interests in the area.
The Minister of Communication confirmed to the press that “Russian instructors have been deployed to support the Faca,” the national army. “It is an important peace mission,” said Maxime Balalou, “to allow the Azandé Ani Kpi Gbé militiamen to stop causing problems among the population.”
This local self-defense group was formed about a year ago to combat the UPC rebels, whom they accuse of committing atrocities against the Zandé community, spread across the Central African Republic, South Sudan, and the DRC. The UPC, on the other hand, claims that this group targets the Muslim communities in the region.
For months, officials from Haut-Mbomou have been calling for the deployment of the army. Defense Minister Claude Rameaux Bireau visited Obo in early March. Last week, the first group of Wagner mercenaries finally arrived.
Until now, the Russians had shown no interest in this very remote area, with fewer natural resources than in other regions and difficult to access. However, by training the Zandé militia, they could benefit from allies to combat the rebels, who in this region survive on arms trafficking and taxes on transhumance.
At the same time, videos circulated by channels close to Wagner have accused the UPC of forging ties with the United States and MINUSCA.