Anti-Balaka General Killed by Russian Mercenaries in the Central African Republic

Jose Befio, a General of the anti-balaka alliance in the Central African Republic's (CAR) Bouca locality, was killed alongside his Deputy General in a joint operation between the country's armed forces (FACA) and Russian mercenaries. In Sango, 'Balaka' means 'machete' with 'anti-balaka' meaning 'invincible.' There is relatively little known about the anti-balaka milita, whose members comprise of those resisting Seleka (meaning alliance in Sango) forces..Befio initially entered the nation's conflict as an anti-balaka militiaman before serving in the FACA after spending a year in prison in the country's capital, Bangui. In 2021, Befio deserted from the army and rejoined the anti-balaka..What You Need to Know.The Central African Republic has been embroiled in conflict since gaining independence in 1960. Much of the nation's current instability is linked to a 2003 coup conducted by Francois Bozize, which ousted President Ange-Felix Patasse, who had ruled the country since 1993..A government-led counter-insurgency campaign began in 2004 against the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR), a now-disbanded rebel group..The initial conflict between the government and the UFDR led to the creation of the 'Seleka' rebels, who began an offensive against the government in 2012..Michel Djotodia, the leader of the primarily Muslim Seleka rebel coalition, seized power in March 2013, being forced to resign in January 2014, after various primarily Christian 'anti-Balaka' coalitions formed in response to his Seleka forces, plunging the country further into violence..As a result, the UN established the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) in April 2014, which holds the protection of civilians as its main priority as well as "creating the political, security, and institutional conditions conducive to national reconciliation and durable peace.".President Faustin-Archange Touadera came to power in 2016, with fighting between Seleka and Anti-Balaka forces only slowing in the capital..Since then, various rebel groups have controlled territories across the CAR landscape, with Bangui being the only government stronghold..In 2018, the first Russian 'military advisers' deployed to the central African nation, with the military relationship between the CAR and Russia flourishing. Currently, the number of Russian mercenaries in the country—operating under the command of Russia's 'Africa Corps' since the death of Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin—is unknown..Local sources allude to the existence of a relatively large number of Russian mercenaries in the country, with local media reporting on instances of human rights abuses committed by the group almost every day..Journalists from local media station Corbeau News Centrafrique stated today, "Last month, mercenaries kidnapped about twenty former self-defense militiamen from the PK5 neighborhood in the third district of Bangui. Ten bodies of these kidnapped former militiamen were found, the others remain untraceable.".So, What Now?.The death of General Befio is likely to have an impact on anti-balaka operations in the near future, with the increasing reach of FACA forces and the Russian mercenaries seemingly turning the tide, for now, against the rebels in the north..However, multiple armed groups remain in the country, and the Russian mercenaries and FACA forces do not differentiate between civilians and rebels, resulting in significant human rights atrocities.