Ex-3R Rebels in CAR Denounce Attacks by Wagner, Warn of Peace Deal Collapse

In a video posted on social media, about twenty armed ex-3R members appeared in a forest, accusing Wagner fighters of violating the Bangui peace agreement barely a month after it was signed.

Their leader, Yaya Adamou, detailed raids on bases in Mambéré and Ouham Pendé, during which Wagner fighters allegedly destroyed facilities, looted supplies, and killed civilians. Adamou insisted the ex-rebels only withdrew to honor their commitment to peace: “Our men withdrew not out of fear but out of respect for the agreement.”

A Fragile Peace Process

The Ndjamena-brokered accord signed in Bangui had led to the official dissolution of the 3R movement, raising hopes of stability in CAR’s troubled northwest. But these latest incidents threaten to derail fragile progress in disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR).

Adamou warned that unless guarantors such as Chad and other regional actors intervene, the attacks risk “setting the process on fire.”

Wagner’s Contentious Presence

The accusations once again highlight the ambiguous role of Wagner in CAR. Since 2018, Wagner mercenaries have been central to defending the CAR government against insurgents, but their presence has been marred by reports of massacres, forced displacement, and illegal resource exploitation.

While the government relies heavily on Wagner for military support, the mercenaries’ actions have often been criticized as undermining peace agreements with rebel factions.

The clashes risk reverberating beyond CAR’s borders. The 3R group — Retour, Réclamation et Réhabilitation — had been one of the most powerful armed factions in the northwest. Its return to hostilities would not only weaken CAR’s reconciliation process but also destabilize the broader Ndjamena peace framework.

Observers warn that renewed violence could drive displaced populations back into conflict zones, trigger reprisals, and complicate the fragile balance between the government, armed groups, and their international backers.