Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group have been accused of torturing and killing civilians in the Central African Republic. Human Rights Watch released a report detailing these incidents, citing evidence from interviews with victims and witnesses, Western governments, and United Nations experts. The alleged atrocities include executions, unlawful detainments, torture, and beatings. The Wagner Group is a private military security company with ties to the Russian government. It is thought to operate in several African countries, as well as Ukraine. The report calls for a criminal court to investigate the abuses and protect civilians from further harm.
In the report, victims describe the perpetrators of the atrocities as men “with white skin speaking Russian.” They recount a confrontation in July 2021 near the town of Bossangoa, during which Wagner men reportedly beat and then shot at least twelve unarmed men. The Central African Republic government set up a commission to investigate the potential crimes in August, but the commission has not yet published its findings. Ida Sawyer, the crisis and conflict director at Human Rights Watch, warns that “There is compelling evidence…” and “The failure of the Central African Republic government and its partners to forcefully denounce these abuses, and to identify and prosecute those responsible, will most likely only fuel further crimes in Africa and beyond.”
Instead, Human Rights Watch suggests that any criminal court with jurisdiction over the Central African Republic should investigate and prosecute these crimes. The state’s judicial system, a hybrid war crimes court in Bangui, the country’s Special Criminal Court, and the International Criminal Court all have jurisdiction and could pursue cases. Human Rights Watch is correct- legal justice will be essential to ending impunity and preventing further abuses. The Republic’s government should uphold accountability and move away from using the Wagner Group for security services. The United Nations and nonprofit organizations should also provide support to survivors to help them cope with the aftermath of the atrocities.
The Wagner Group is thought to have arrived in the Central African Republic in 2018. Conflict intensified in the country in 2013, when Muslim rebels called the Seleka seized control of the government. Anti-balaka militias formed to fight the Seleka, and massacres along religious lines occurred. An African Union mission pushed the Seleka out of the capital in 2014 and was later replaced by a United Nations peacekeeping force known as MINUSCA. Violence is still widespread, with Seleka rebels controlling parts of the country. President Faustin-Archange Touadéra came to office in 2016. According to BBC News, he began shifting the Republic towards Russia and away from its alliance with France. In 2018, Bangui and Moscow signed an agreement to use Russian former military officers to train Central African Republic forces. However, many of these officers appear to actually be Wagner men. The European Union has claimed that as of late 2021, most national army units were operating under the control or supervision of Wagner mercenaries. The Wagner Group is supposedly present in Mali, Libya, Syria, and Ukraine as well. Russia has denied any connection to the mercenaries.
The Wagner Group is a threat to human rights and stability in the Central African Republic and beyond. The private security force faces little accountability and consistently violates the laws of war. The government in Bangui should release its commission’s report and prosecute the people responsible for committing crimes against civilians. There is no hope for peace in the Republic without rule of law and justice. Countries should also try to limit the reach of the Wagner Group and discourage other governments from allowing private security companies to operate without consequences.
