Opposition Raises Alarm Over UN Arms Embargo Violation In Central African Republic

Opposition parties have accused the government of President Faustin Archange Touadera in the Central African Republic of secretly piling up arms with the connivance of its Russian allies in violation of a United Nations embargo on arms to the country.

Sources within the opposition in the country allege that President Touadera and his allies of the Wagner Security Group recently discreetly imported a Russian fighter plane of the kind of a mirage-2000 and heavy and light weapons into the country despite the UN embargo.

“President Touadera is preparing for a third term, and he intends to achieve it by force, a thing which would be synonymous with political instability and a threat to national security,” an opposition leader who is also a security analyst told HumAngle.

“The President is fully conscious that what he is doing is anti-constitutional but still preparing for any eventuality, including war. That is why in the past several days, the Russian Wagner Security Group has discreetly brought in a fighter plane of the type of the French Rafal or mirage-2000.”

The government and rebel groups have been bringing arms into the country and recruiting child soldiers in the last two years, violating the arms embargo imposed by the United Nations on the country.

HumAngle understands that the Wagner Security Group in the country on the accord signed with the Bangui authorities continues to acquire essential components of heavy and light weapons imported from Russia.

Wagner Security Group, according to security sources, Wagner Security Group has discreetly imported spares of a warplane which it has been assembling bit-by-bit and secretly in Bouar.

“This warplane is actually hidden in the military base of the Russian mercenaries in Bouar and is already set to the deployed,” a source revealed.

In Berengo, situated in the Lobaye prefecture in the country’s southwest, there has been a steady influx of arms and ammunitions arriving by air from Russia.

According to some officers of the Central African Republic national army, FACA, who took part in the training of FACA recruits by Russian mercenaries in Berengo, an airport has been created in the Russian base, enabling military cargo planes to regularly land without the control of the national authorities.

A former senior officer of the national army says this attitude by the country’s authorities and the Wagner Security Group reflects the determination of President Touadera to forcefully pass a constitution modification law.

He said the determination is synonymous with political and security instability which Touadera intends to defend at all cost.

“Touadera is preparing to brutally clamp down on all opposition to his project for a third term, whether political or military, but he forgets the financial bills involved,” said another former FACA officer who did not want to be named for security reasons. 

Another FACA officer opines that Wagner Security Group wants to install its principal military base for Central Africa in the Central African Republic.

“The ambition of Wagner is not only for the Central African Republic. This company want to push its influence to other countries in Central Africa. Its focus is Chad, Congo Brazzaville and the Democratic Republic of Congo.”

“That is why it wants to implant its principal base in the Central African Republic. From there, it can command operations in other countries.”

Humangle learnt that the Wagner Security Group disposes of over ten combat helicopters and three fighter planes in Libya. 

However, despite all these arms, the rebels of Gen. Khalifa Haftar, who benefit from the support of Wagner, have not succeeded in taking over power in the country.