Sudanese paramilitary forces are using the Central African Republic as a “supply chain”, including recruiting fighters, according to a report published on Friday by United Nations experts, who worry about a “spillover effect”.
Sudan descended into war in April 2023 when the generals in charge of the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) took up arms against each other in a struggle for control, rejecting an integration plan.
“The secondary effect of the conflict in Sudan has significantly affected the situation in the Central African Republic,” said the panel of experts, set up by the UN Security Council to monitor sanctions in Central Africa.
They particularly highlighted the humanitarian situation as the country sees an influx of millions of Sudanese refugees, as well as incursions from the two warring Sudanese sides — plus Sudanese military airstrikes in and around the Umm Dafog border post, where RSF is present.
This “continues to pose a threat to the security of civilians and an obstacle to humanitarian activities in the region,” the experts said.
Advertisement – Scroll down to continue
They insist the paramilitaries are also using the Am Dafok area in the Central African Republic on the border “as a key logistical hub”.
Because the RSF can “move between the two countries easily through a long-standing network,” they have been able to recruit “from armed groups in the Central African Republic.”
“Armed opposition groups from the Central African Republic have been reported to have actively recruited and sent members of their groups to fight in Sudan under the RSF,” the experts said.
Advertisement – Scroll down to continue
Noted fighters in Sudan as early as August 2023 from the Central African rebel group Popular Front for the Renaissance of Central Africa (FPRC).
Experts said they know this armed group and others “are still able to cross into Sudan and the Central African Republic at will and use Sudanese territory to launch attacks.”
The experts thus called on the Central African authorities to “compensate for the increase in arms smuggling from neighboring countries, especially given the current conflict situation in Sudan”.
Advertisement – Scroll down to continue
They also called on leaders to combat “the infiltration of foreign fighters into the Central African Republic, which poses a significant long-term threat to the region.”
au/bfm/st