Dafuq, December 2 (Darfur24)
Russian forces operating in the Central African Republic (CAR) have allegedly launched a new wave of arrests targeting Sudanese herders in the border region, detaining dozens since Saturday on accusations of belonging to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to local sources.
Ahmed Al-Tijani, a Sudanese herder residing in CAR, speaking to Darfur24, claimed that seven young men from his family were arrested by Russian forces in the town of Al-Dahl inside CAR.
He said the forces accused them of being RSF members, despite the absence of any documents, evidence, or weapons linking them to the group.
Al-Tijani added that the detainees were whipped in an attempt to force them to confess, before being released after their relatives paid a ransom of 50,000 Central African francs following a settlement with the forces.
He recalled that last August, Russian forces launched similar campaigns against Sudanese nomads, resulting in the deaths of dozens and the displacement of hundreds of families to the Um Dafuq locality. Those operations also forced cattle herders to stop entering CAR.
Russian Wagner forces, who support CAR’s government, are highly active in the capital Bangui and along the border with Sudan, particularly around the gold-rich Andha region. There, they frequently conduct searches of the homes and encampments of Sudanese nomads who cross into CAR each year in search of pasture and water for their livestock.