Central African Republic

In the Central African Republic, 478 members of the rebel group Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC) surrendered their weapons. According to military sources cited in national media, the 478 rebels voluntarily joined the National Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration, and Repatriation (DDRR) program. As they surrendered, the rebels handed over 1,788 pieces of military ammunition, 30 AK-47 assault rifles, and 8 rocket launchers to DDRR authorities. In the past two weeks, around 150 rebels had already surrendered their weapons in the country. Armed groups such as Seleka, Anti-Balaka, 3R (Return, Reclamation, Reinforcement), the Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC), the Patriotic Movement of Central Africa (MPC), and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) are fighting for control of resource-rich areas, particularly in the country’s mining regions. The CPC rebel groups had launched an offensive in December 2020 to capture the capital, Bangui, but were unsuccessful. Since 2013, ongoing violence in the country has resulted in the deaths of thousands, mostly Muslims, and displaced over one million people.