Bangji, Central African Republic (AP) – The United Nations condemned the ambush and killing of Kenya peacekeepers on Saturday.
Florence Marchal, spokesman for the Peacekeeping Mission Minusca in the Central African Republic, said soldiers were killed during a UN patrol in a UN patrol near the village of Tabant, 24 kilometers (15 miles) northwest of Sémio.
Marchele said Valentine Rugwabiza, the Special Representative of the Central African Republic of the United Nations Secretary-General, “condemned the attack in the most powerful way” and “is extremely shocked by the despicable attack on peacekeepers whose mission is to protect civilians.”
Government spokesman Maxime Balalu told the Associated Press that the government and law enforcement will do everything possible to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Although the Central African Republic remains one of the poorest countries in the world, despite the huge minerals, including gold and diamonds. Rebel groups often get impunity, thwarting mining exploration by foreign companies.
The country has been in conflict since 2013, when power was seized by mainly Muslim rebels, when François Bozizé was forced to serve from the office. Six of the 14 armed groups that signed the 2019 peace agreement later left the agreement. Locals and the government have praised Wagner’s forces as preventing insurgents from controlling Benny in 2021.
The country is one of the first countries to be established and operated by the Russian-backed Mercenary Wagner Group and promises to fight against rebel groups and restore peace. Wagner’s troops served as personal bodyguard for President Faustin Archet Touadera, helping him win a constitutional referendum in July 2023, which could expand his power indefinitely.
