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CAR-Wagner Security Uncertainties as Presidential Polls Loom

Keywords: Central African Republic, Wagner Group, CAR Elections, Russian Mercenaries, Human Rights Violations, Resource Exploitation, CAR Security, FACA, Russian Influence in Africa.

Introduction

As the Central African Republic (CAR) approaches its presidential elections, the nation finds itself at a critical geopolitical crossroads. For years, the government in Bangui has relied heavily on Russian support to maintain order and combat insurgencies. However, this reliance has introduced profound security uncertainties and ethical dilemmas. The partnership between the CAR government and the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company (PMC), is often touted as a stabilizing force. Yet, beneath the surface of military victories lies a complex reality of systemic violence, resource predation, and a fragile security landscape that threatens the integrity of the upcoming polls. This article analyzes the multifaceted nature of the CAR-Wagner alliance, exploring how it shapes the current political climate and what it means for the future of Central African democracy.

Key Points

Background

The Central African Republic has struggled with instability since gaining independence, but the conflict intensified significantly following the 2012-2013 civil war. By 2018, the government of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra sought external assistance to stabilize the country and counter various rebel groups, including the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC). This void was filled by the Wagner Group.

The Arrival of Wagner

Wagner established itself as the spine of the CAR’s security apparatus. Their mandate was broad and highly visible: providing close protection for the head of state, securing the Presidential Palace, training the Central African Armed Forces (FACA), and participating directly in combat operations. Their intervention was decisive in retaking territory previously held by rebel coalitions and securing the capital, Bangui, which allowed for the organization of the 2020 elections.

Operational Reality

Today, an estimated 1,200 to 2,000 mercenaries operate within the country. They enjoy near-total freedom of movement and operate with significant autonomy, facing little to no institutional oversight from local judicial or military bodies. This lack of accountability has created a parallel power structure within the CAR, where the rules of engagement are dictated by the mercenaries rather than the state.

Analysis

The current security situation in the CAR is a paradox. While the Wagner Group has successfully prevented the total collapse of the Touadéra government, it has simultaneously undermined the state’s long-term stability through human rights violations and the erosion of national sovereignty.

Systemic Human Rights Violations

The human cost of the Wagner presence is well-documented. Investigations by Human Rights Watch and The Sentry have uncovered a pattern of atrocities committed during “clearing” operations. These include abstract executions, torture, enforced disappearances, looting, and arbitrary arrests. The violence is not collateral; it is often systematic.

Specific incidents highlight the brutality of these operations. In 2021, the massacre in Bèzèrè saw the execution of villagers, including pregnant women. In Bambari, survivors described systematic beatings and the existence of official torture chambers. Sexual violence has been weaponized in the north, northeast, and southeast. In Bouar, attackers allegedly assaulted women in front of their families, with reports indicating that about twenty women, including minors, became pregnant due to rapes committed by Wagner personnel. More recently, between September and October 2025, reports from Birao and Ndélé pointed to a new wave of targeted executions and sexual violence.

Boomerang Effect: Creating New Enemies

The Wagner Group’s heavy-handed approach has inadvertently fueled new insurgencies. In Haut-Mbomou, a local defense force known as the Azandé Ani Kpi Gbé (AAKG) initially emerged to protect communities. However, after Russian mercenaries lynched one of its fighters, the group rebranded as Wagner Ti Azandé (WTA) and turned against the government and its Russian allies. The WTA now controls parts of the prefecture, illustrating how the “security solution” provided by Wagner often generates the very instability it claims to fight.

Practical Advice: Understanding the Resource-Security Nexus

To truly understand the CAR-Wagner dynamic, one must look beyond the battlefield and examine the economic logic driving the partnership. It is a relationship defined by resource predation.

The Mechanics of Extraction

Behind the military alliance lies a predatory economic model that converts the CAR’s natural wealth into operational funding for the PMC. Companies such as Diamville and Midas Ressources are central to this opaque network. They utilize shell corporations and international hubs like Dubai to channel diamonds and gold out of official traceability mechanisms. This setup allows Wagner to siphon off a significant percentage of national wealth to finance its global operations, directly to the detriment of the Central African treasury.

Case Study: The Ndassima Gold Mine

The intensity of this exploitation has increased since 2024, following new agreements between the CAR government and Wagner-linked entities like Heavy Industrial and Midas Ressources. Since 2020, Midas has held the concession for the Ndassima gold mine, one of the country’s most promising sites. Reports suggest this mine could generate between $290 million and $1 billion annually for the Russian group.

However, this wealth comes at a high human price. Reports indicate that forces under Wagner command have executed artisanal miners labeled “illegal” and terrorized local populations to secure exclusive access to mining areas. In late September 2025, a “security” operation around Ndassima reportedly led to the deaths of approximately ten civilians following the forced expulsion of artisanal miners. Witnesses describe the brutal exploitation of local labor, marked by violence, beatings, and rape. As one survivor expelled from the Yidéré mining site stated, “The way the Russians treat us is inhuman. They kill people and decapitate bodies.”

Opacity in Governance

The lack of transparency is total. A striking example occurred in January 2025 with the disappearance of a 177-carat rough diamond, one of the largest ever discovered in the CAR. Authorities, including the Minister of Mines Ruffin Bénam Beltoungou, had officially announced the find in Bangui. However, the gem vanished after direct intervention by Wagner’s local operatives. No legal export or tracking record ever appeared, highlighting the complete breakdown of governance in the mining sector.

FAQ

Conclusion

As the Central African Republic heads to the polls, the partnership with the Wagner Group stands as a double-edged sword. While it offers a temporary shield against rebel advances, it exacts a devastating toll on the population through violence and the stripping of the nation’s economic assets. The security uncertainties are not merely the result of rebel activity but are deeply rooted in the operational methods of the very forces hired to protect the state. For the CAR to achieve lasting peace and genuine democratic stability, the current model—based on foreign mercenaries and resource predation—must be fundamentally reassessed. The path to sovereignty requires a security apparatus that serves the people, not one that exploits them.

Sources

• Human Rights Watch (HRW) – Reports on the Central African Republic.
• The Sentry – Investigations into the Wagner Group and resource looting in the CAR.
• United Nations Independent Experts on the Central African Republic.
• Reports on the “Wagner Ti Azandé” (WTA) conflict in Haut-Mbomou (2025).
• Documentation on the Ndassima gold mine operations and artisanal mining disputes.