denouncing torture in central african republic: a perilous act amidst Wagner’s reign
In the Central African Republic, speaking out against torture perpetrated by Wagner, the FACA, and Commander Yarkokpa is an act of extreme peril. Victims, silenced by widespread impunity, find their cries for justice echoing unheard.
In the Central African Republic (CAR), exposing acts of torture is tantamount to signing one’s own death warrant. Russian Wagner mercenaries, alongside the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) and gendarmes, including elements of the presidential guard, operate with terrifying impunity. Figures like Commander Môn Gervais Simplice Yarkokpa orchestrate a reign of terror across Bangui and provincial towns. They engage in looting, brutal torture, and killings, often brazenly sharing their atrocities on social media as macabre trophies. The government, far from prosecuting these crimes, dismisses evidence as mere “fabrications” and labels victims as “enemies of the Central African Republic.” In this climate of pervasive fear, where justice remains an elusive concept, speaking out against abuse leads to imprisonment, forced exile, or, more often, death. This grim reality is a critical piece of West Africa insider news, highlighting the profound human rights crisis.
bangui: yarkokpa, a lawless officer
In Bangui, Commander Yarkokpa, an officer within the presidential guard, brazenly controls a criminal enterprise. Early in 2025, he violently assaulted police officer Ouadole Freddy at Bangui-Mpoko airport, handcuffing and beating him with a machete for exposing Yarkokpa’s drug trafficking operations. In August 2023, he orchestrated the baseless arrest of soldiers Dongomalé Dieubeni, known as Fort Papy, and Selekoy Tanguy, falsely accusing them of arms sales. Through his connections with Defense Minister Claude Rameau Bireau, Yarkokpa ensured their discharge from service. More recently, Jefté Ngaïndiro, a young man from the Combattant district, became his target. Falsely accused of stealing 9 million FCFA, Jefté was abducted, subjected to torture, and stripped of his new motorcycle and 150,000 FCFA. Released without any avenue for recourse, his story tragically illustrates the fate of victims crushed by a system where a uniform serves as a shield for criminality.
zémio: a ruthless hunt for witnesses
The repression extends with equal brutality to Zémio, in Haut-Mbomou. Tisso René, a respected municipal councilor and history-geography teacher, was abducted on May 15, 2025, by gendarmes and FACA personnel, then handed over to Wagner mercenaries. He has since vanished, widely believed to be a victim of extrajudicial execution. When his son, residing in Bangui, reported the abduction on Radio Ndékè Luka, gendarmes launched a manhunt for Narcisse, known as Nara, a merchant who witnessed the arrest. Nara, forewarned, fled into the bush. However, on May 22, 2025, another son, Tisso Grâce, returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo, was captured by gendarmes. Falsely accused of speaking to the radio, he was tortured “almost to death” and is now fighting for his life. This relentless pursuit of witnesses aims to suppress the truth surrounding the disappearance of Tisso René, a prominent figure in Zémio.
justice paralyzed, government complicity
Victims like Jefté Ngaïndiro, Ouadole Freddy, and Tisso Grâce are left with no recourse. At the Bangui courthouse, thousands of complaints lodged against Wagner and FACA forces languish, unaddressed. A court clerk, confronted with new complaints, confessed, “We cannot process these. These are classified confidential files.” This stark statement encapsulates the absurd reality: the government actively protects the very perpetrators it invited into the country. Videos depicting torture, such as one released by Wagner on February 25, 2025, in Ippy, showing a young Central African being beaten in a dilapidated house, are dismissed by authorities as mere “montages.” In 2024, Wagner even beheaded two Central Africans, filming their mutilated bodies, yet Bangui remained silent. This pattern raises serious questions for any Sahel analysis English publication covering regional stability and human rights.
yarkokpa: an architect of terror
Yarkokpa is not merely a torturer; he is the mastermind behind an extensive criminal network. A former anti-balaka militiaman, he thrives due to his powerful connections with both the Minister of Defense and the President. Despite his reported inability to write his own name, he was integrated into gendarmerie officer training and now controls illicit trafficking in drugs (tramadol from Zongo), counterfeit alcohol, and fake currency. In June 2024, he illicitly seized 800 million FCFA in gold and diamonds from two Franco-Algerian traders, Samir Antonio Osmani and Haçade Bensalem, during a fraudulent search. His victims, such as Adjutant Kparambéti (Ozaguin), who was imprisoned for exposing Yarkokpa’s illicit activities, stand no chance against his entrenched impunity. This highlights a troubling aspect of Sahel politics, where powerful figures operate above the law.
a population silenced by fear
Denouncing torture in the Central African Republic is an act of unimaginable bravery, often leading to dire consequences. Wagner, the FACA, and Commander Yarkokpa rule with an iron fist, shielded by a government that denies their heinous crimes. Victims – including Tisso René, Tisso Grâce, Jefté Ngaïndiro, and Ouadole Freddy – are abandoned, their pleas for justice stifled by overwhelming fear and indifference. In a nation where justice is a distant mirage, a haunting question persists: who will speak for the tormented? For now, the silence is deafening.
