Bangui, July 1 (Darfur24)
Russian forces allied with the Central African Republic (CAR) government have warned they will pursue Seleka rebels into Sudan if the fighters retreat across the border, following the rebel assault on the border town of Am Dafok earlier this week.
On Tuesday, Darfur24 reported that Seleka alliance forces had seized Am Dafok, a town in northeastern CAR bordering Sudan, after days of fighting that also saw the rebels capture the nearby areas of Um Karmaya and Bir Suleiman.
In a statement seen by Darfur24, the Central African government said its armed forces and their Russian allies had launched a military operation in the Am Dafok area following what it described as a large-scale attack by Seleka fighters.
According to the statement, the attack began at around 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday and resulted in casualties among Central African soldiers. The government also said the rebels attacked a base of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), killing one peacekeeper and injuring four others.
The government further alleged that civilians, including women and children, were killed or wounded during the assault. It accused the attackers of carrying out systematic looting, rape—including of minors—and the killing of a parliamentary assistant and the head of the Am Dafok district. Darfur24 could not independently verify these claims.
The statement said many residents fled to the northeastern city of Birao, while others sought refuge at the MINUSCA base in Am Dafok.
The government said it had received advance warning of the attack after a fighter who surrendered on June 29 allegedly provided intelligence indicating that between 2,000 and 2,500 fighters from Sudan and Chad, including foreign mercenaries, were preparing to launch an offensive in northeastern CAR.
It also alleged that the operation was financed and planned by Karim Mikasso, with field operations led by Haroun Gueye and supported by Abdelkader Al-Qouni Al-Tijani, Yahya Idris, Abdullah Tagou and Qader Kiningar, acting on behalf of Seleka commander Noureddine Adam.
The statement further claimed that the attackers had received military training from French instructors and trainers of Arab origin at camps near the Chad-Sudan border, where they were also allegedly subjected to ideological indoctrination linked to Islamic extremism. The government said these allegations demonstrated French support for armed groups operating against the Central African Republic. It did not provide evidence to support the claims.
The Central African government said its armed forces and Russian allies had raised their state of alert and were continuing military operations to secure the area.
The statement also quoted Russian forces as warning that any Seleka fighters attempting to retreat into Sudan would be pursued across the border, declaring that “there will be no escape for the criminals.”
The government called on citizens to remain vigilant and support the security forces, saying military operations would continue until security and state authority are restored.
Darfur24 was unable to independently verify the allegations contained in the government’s statement, and there was no immediate response from Seleka representatives or the French government to the accusations.