Kenyan UN peacekeeper killed in an ambush in the Central African Republic, spokesperson says

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BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — The United Nations on Saturday condemned the killing of a Kenyan peacekeeper in an ambush of a patrol in the east of the Central African Republic.

Florence Marchal, the spokesperson for MINUSCA, the peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, said the soldier was killed during a UN patrol near the village of Tabant, 24 kilometers (15 miles) northwest of Sémio.

Marchal said Valentine Rugwabiza, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the Central African Republic, “condemns this attack in the strongest possible terms" and is "extremely shocked by this despicable attack on peacekeepers whose mission is to protect civilian populations.”

Government spokesperson Maxime Balalu told the Associated Press that government and law enforcement authorities would do everything in their power to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The ambush was carried out by the A Zande Anikpigbe militia, according to Semio official Amadou Bi Djobdi.

"This is an act that cannot be tolerated. There is no more room for anarchy, and the bandits will have to face up to the law,” Djobdi told the AP.

Central African Republic remains one of the world’s poorest countries despite its vast mineral wealth, including gold and diamonds. Rebel groups have often operated with impunity, thwarting mining exploration by foreign companies.

The country has been in conflict since 2013, when predominantly Muslim rebels seized power and forced then President François Bozizé from office. Six of the 14 armed groups that signed a 2019 peace deal later left the agreement. Locals and the government have credited Wagner forces with preventing rebels from taking control of Bangui in 2021.

The country is one of the first in which the Russia-backed mercenary Wagner Group established operations with the pledge of fighting rebel groups and restoring peace. Wagner forces have served as personal bodyguards for President Faustin Archange Touadera, helping him win a constitutional referendum in July 2023 that could extend his power indefinitely.

The A Zande Anikpigbe militia is one of several such groups that have been trained by Wagner mercenaries in recent years.

Wagner group regional chief Dimitri Syty said last year that the militia had been committing atrocities “because they're cut off from the country" and that Wagner's training has helped integrate it into the national army.