Human Rights Watch has decried the killing of 46 civilians apparently by fighters of the Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation, or 3R group in three attacks in Ouham Pendé province of the Central African Republic almost two months ago.
In February, 14 armed groups, including 3R, signed a peace deal with the Central African government and in March, the 3R commander, General Sidiki Abass (also known as Bi Sidi Souleymane)was appointed by presidential decree a military adviser to the prime minister.
“The killings of these civilians are war crimes that need to be effectively investigated and those responsible brought to justice,” said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch in a statement on Thursday.
“That the evidence implicates 3R and Abass, who have signed a peace accord designed to end such crimes, makes a prompt and independent investigation all the more urgent” Mudge said.
According to HRW the May 21 attacks took place in the town of Bohong and the villages of Koundjili and Lemouna, in the northwestern part of the country, all at around the same time, which suggests they may have been coordinated.
Several people who attended a meeting with Abass in Bohong the day before the attacks told Human Rights Watch that in the meeting, he threatened to carry out attacks on civilians.
Human Rights Watch said it had interviewed 36 people in Ouham Pendé province, including in Bohong, Koundjili, and Lemouna, in June, including 12 witnesses to the 3R killings and 9 relatives of victims.
They were quoted as saying 3R members had killed civilians in all three locations and pillaged in Bohong.
Human Rights Watch said it also spoke with a representative of 3R on June 15 in Bangui, the capital.
The 3R group emerged in late 2015 asserting that they were needed to protect the minority Peuhl population in the region from attacks by anti-balaka militia who were targeting Muslims in the aftermath of violence that started in early 2013.
In April and May 2016, 3R conducted attacks on villages in the Koui subprefecture, allegedly in retaliation for anti-balaka activity. 3
R attacks on civilians in 2016 and 2017 led to the displacement of tens of thousands in the Ouham Pendé province, HRW said.
The United Nations has 13,677 troops in its Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
WN/as/APA