Ten people, including six motorcycle taxi drivers and four passengers, were killed in an ambush near the diamond-mining town of Bria, local authorities reported on Tuesday.
The victims were returning to Bria from a religious ceremony in Ippy when they were intercepted by unidentified attackers, according to local sources. Witnesses reported that the group was tied up, killed alongside their motorcycles, which were set on fire. The incident has caused widespread fear in Bria, prompting the mobilization of the military, supported by Russian Wagner mercenaries.
No group has taken responsibility for the ambush. However, Bria has been at the center of ongoing violence linked to confrontations between government forces and the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), a militant alliance opposing the current administration.
The region’s diamond trade remains a contentious issue, with exports banned under the Kimberley Process, an international agreement aimed at preventing the sale of conflict diamonds.
The Central African Republic has faced persistent instability since 2013, following the overthrow of President François Bozizé by armed groups. Despite a peace deal signed in 2019, violence continues to plague the nation, with some armed factions, including the CPC, rejecting the agreement.
The Wagner Group, active in the country for several years, initially pledged to support stability but has faced criticism over alleged human rights violations and its alignment with President Faustin-Archange Touadéra’s government.
Military efforts to locate the attackers are ongoing, confirmed local security officials, with the army actively conducting operations in the affected region. The incident underscores the challenges of achieving peace in a country fraught with conflict and political turmoil.
