The UN warned on Tuesday against a premature withdrawal of its peacekeepers as the war in Sudan spills over into the Central African Republic (CAR).
CAR continues to face a resurgence of deadly violence in the east despite the disarmament of nearly 2,000 fighters and the gradual completion of the latest electoral cycle, the Security Council heard.
Illustrating the current fragility, the top UN official in the country, Valentine Rugwabiza, highlighted an attack on 30 June by different armed groups on Am-Dafock, bordering Sudan, which killed civilians, members of national security forces, displaced 17,000 civilians and injured six UN peacekeepers.
However, without peacekeeping mission MINUSCA 's rapid response, she said, attacks in the border area with Chad and Sudan would have resulted in significantly more fatalities and State authority could not have been restored after only five days of control by the armed group, whose fighters retreated across the border into Sudan.
"In this regard, I plead with the council, as it prepares to renew MINUSCA's mandate, to maintain MINUSCA with adequate force levels and capabilities during the critical consolidation phase," she stressed.
Regional instability
While Bangui consolidates its authority and continues disarming rebel groups, violence is multiplying in the east, driven in part by the war in Sudan that is complicating plans for a gradual MINUSCA troop drawdown, Ms. Rugwabiza said.
The situation in the northeast and southeast remained particularly worrying, notably around mining sites and along the corridors traditionally used by pastoral farmers - often the source of community tensions.
Abducted children, attacked villages
In the southeast, 26 serious incidents were recorded, attributed to suspected members of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA - a long-established armed group of Ugandan origin - between June and September.
They included reports of rapes and sexual slavery and the abduction of 68 civilians, around 40 of them children.
At the same time, the Azandé Ani Kpi Gbé (AAKG) militia continues to threaten local populations.
However, Ms. Rugwabiza announced Monday's release of three hostages held since December 2025, including the sub-prefect of Bambouti, following several months of mediation with local leaders.
Peace progress
This violence contrasts with advances in the peace process. Since July 2025, 1,907 fighters have been disarmed and demobilised, but their economic re-integration remains difficult and some cannot be located.
Politically, elections are ending. As of 1 October, 127 of the 177 municipalities had installed their municipal councils. The remaining polls, postponed for lack of financial and logistical resources, are due to be held on 25 October.
Yet, this institutional progress is not enough to improve living conditions. Nearly two million Central Africans, or 31 per cent of the population, faced acute food insecurity between April and August.
At the beginning of October, the UN humanitarian plan was only 46.6 per cent funded.
Peacekeeping dilemma
It is in this context that the Security Council must decide, before mid-November, whether to renew MINUSCA's mandate. The mission has already closed several bases in regions deemed sufficiently stable and transferred certain responsibilities to national authorities.
MINUSCA was deployed in 2014, a year after Séléka, a predominantly Muslim coalition, seized power by force and overthrew then-President François Bozizé, triggering a spiral of violence, looting, massacres of civilians and sexual violence.
More than 10 years later, Séléka has been dissolved, two presidential elections have been held and a 2019 peace agreement has brought 14 armed groups into a political process.
Vast areas remain unstable
Meanwhile, vast areas remain unstable. Right now, the UN peacekeeping mission maintains more than 12,000 peacekeepers.
According to Ms. Rugwabiza, initial assessments show no major deterioration in security in the localities affected by base closures. But, this reorganisation relies in particular on long-range patrols and on strengthening Central African forces.
Divided Security Council
The issue has divided Security Council members. The United States has already argued for larger troop reductions while other countries warn against a hasty withdrawal.
The UN Secretary-General recommended extending the mandate by one year while preserving the military capabilities needed for rapid intervention.
After more than a decade of MINUSCA's presence, CAR has recovered some of its institutions and territory. However, the violence that persists at its borders is a reminder of how dependent these gains remain on international support.
