The United Nations has warned that instability linked to the war in Sudan continues to threaten security in the Central African Republic (CAR), urging the Security Council to maintain adequate peacekeeping capabilities as it prepares to renew the mandate of the UN mission in the country.
Valentine Rugwabiza, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the CAR and head of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), delivered the warning during a Security Council briefing on October 20. She said recent security gains remained fragile, particularly in border areas affected by armed group activity.
Rugwabiza highlighted a June 30 attack on Am-Dafock, a town in the northeastern Vakaga prefecture bordering Sudan. Armed groups killed civilians and members of the CAR security forces, displaced more than 17,000 people and injured six UN peacekeepers. The attackers maintained control of the area for five days before retreating across the border into Sudan, according to the UN briefing.
MINUSCA supported the deployment of national security forces, protected civilians and helped facilitate humanitarian assistance. Rugwabiza said the mission’s rapid response had been critical to restoring state authority, warning that the security situation across the wider region continued to pose a threat to the CAR.
Violence also persists in the southeast. Between June and September, 26 serious incidents were attributed to suspected members of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), an armed group of Ugandan origin. The incidents included the abduction of 68 civilians, around 40 of them children, as well as reports of sexual violence. The Azandé Ani Kpi Gbé militia also continues to threaten local communities, according to the UN.
At the same time, the country has recorded progress in its peace process. Since July 2025, 1,907 combatants have been disarmed and demobilized with MINUSCA’s support. On October 19, the mission also secured the release of three hostages held by the Azandé Ani Kpi Gbé militia since an attack in Bambouti in December 2025, including the town’s sub-prefect.
The Security Council is due to decide on the renewal of MINUSCA’s mandate, which expires on November 15. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has recommended extending it for another year while retaining the mission’s core security functions and capabilities to protect civilians and respond to threats.
The debate comes as the mission gradually transfers selected responsibilities to national authorities and adjusts its deployment in areas considered relatively stable. Rugwabiza has cautioned that any transition must be gradual and based on conditions on the ground to avoid security gaps.
The latest developments underline the challenge facing the CAR: consolidating progress in the peace process while armed groups remain active in remote areas and instability in neighboring Sudan continues to threaten border communities.
