Central African Republic charges European agent of US NGO with plotting coup, says UN in arming rebels

Jean Fernand Koena
The Washington Post
Mon, 24 Jun 2024 00:06 UTC

© AFP/Sia Kambou

FILE: A French soldier takes part in a securing mission at the entrance of Bangui's airport, Central African Republic. Authorities in the Central African Republic charged a European aid worker who was arrested last month with terrorism and undermining state security.

Authorities in the Central African Republic charged a European aid worker who was arrested last month with terrorism and undermining state security, the public prosecutor's office said.

Martin Joseph Figueira, a Belgian-Portuguese consultant for the American nongovernmental organization FHI360, has been accused of being in communication with armed groups to plot a coup, thereby jeopardizing national security.

On Friday, the prosecutor charged him with six crimes, including undermining the internal and external state security, as well as terrorism. If found guilty, he faces a sentence of forced labor for life.

Among Figueira's alleged crimes, the prosecutor's office listed "the existence of several contracts with the leaders of armed groups, supply of strategic information on the different positions of the Central African Armed Forces (FACA), money and weapons, being identified as an alleged employee of an American non-governmental organization carrying out research on Fulani herders."

Figueira also allegedly "defended war crimes and crimes against humanity; the propaganda of armed groups while encouraging them to create an international terrorist branch like the Islamic State," the statement added.

Comment: What's perhaps most telling is that CAR is working with Russia's forces, and, as with numerous other African nations, that it's finally tackling the West and the NGOs it uses as cover for its destabilisation activities.

Figueira holds Belgian and Portuguese passports. On his Belgian passport he goes under the name of Martin Joseph Edouard.

FHI360, a public health NGO that manages projects related to family planning and reproductive health, confirmed that one of its workers is in custody in the Central African Republic.

Figueira was arrested last month in Zemio, a town in southeastern Central African Republic that has been plagued by fighting between local ethnic militias and anti-government rebels for over a decade.

"We are working to secure our consultant's immediate release," FHI360's spokesperson Jennifer Garcia told The Associated Press immediately after his arrest.

So far, The Associated Press has not been able to contact Figueira, and none of his lawyers commented on Friday's statement.

Mohamed Ag Ayoya, deputy special representative of the U.N. Secretary-General in charge of humanitarian action, told the AP he was monitoring the situation.

"We learned of the news and the prosecutor's press release through the press." Ayoya said. "We have no comment to make. But what I can tell you at this level it is his embassy in Bangui which is managing the file."

Authorities have warned foreign NGO workers against taking part in activities that could jeopardize national security or they could face judicial proceedings.

Following Figueira's arrest, the military was deployed to Zemio, after more than six years of absence from the town. The Russian mercenary group Wagner, which for years has had a significant a presence in Central African Republic, was also deployed there at the same time to train local militias and recruit them for the army. It wasn't immediately clear whether Wagner forces were still present in the city.

The Central African Republic has been in conflict since 2013, when predominantly Muslim rebels seized power and forced then-president François Bozizé from office. Mostly Christian militias fought back. A 2019 peace deal helped slow the fighting but six of the 14 armed groups that signed later left the agreement.

A U.N. peacekeeping mission and Rwandan troops are currently deployed in the Central African Republic to try to quell the violence and protect civilians.

Comment: Associated Press reports that CAR is facing increased 'rebel activity', whilst at least one source, posted further below, with video, alleges that it's the UN that is arming them:

Central African Republic faces increased rebel activity and spillover from Sudan war, UN experts

The panel of experts cite confirmed reports of air raids by the Sudanese military around border areas and of fighters from the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces crossing over to recruit from armed groups in the Central African Republic.

Sudan plunged into conflict in mid-April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military and paramilitary leaders broke out in the capital Khartoum. Fighting spread to other regions including Darfur, which borders the Central African Republic's northeastern Vakaga region. The U.N. says over 14,000 people have been killed and 33,000 injured in the Sudan fight.

The country has been in conflict since 2013, when predominantly Muslim rebels seized power and forced then President Francois Bozize from office. Mostly Christian militias fought back.

A 2019 peace deal did not end the fighting, and six of the 14 armed groups that signed later quit the agreement. The Coalition of Patriots for Change, an alliance of rebel groups aligned with Bozize, was founded in the aftermath of the agreement, but the experts cited no progress and the splintering of some rebel groups.

Mercenaries from Russia's Wagner group along with Russian military instructors have been working in the Central African Republic at the government's request.

The experts said that on Dec. 10, 2023, six waves of explosions were heard at the Russian instructors' base in Kaga Bandoro in the west of the country, and three instructors were killed and seven people injured.

The panel said activities by the Lord's Resistance Army, a brutal armed group accused of mass killings, recruiting boys to fight and using girls as sex slaves, have also been disrupted by the war in Sudan. The LRA is led by one of the world's most wanted men, Joseph Kony, who formed the group in his native Uganda and then scattered his followers across parts of central Africa.

The following report seems to echo both the reports regarding the rise in rebel activity, but also the collaboration with Russian forces. It's also notable that this is occurring alongside the EU-US NGO attempts to further destabilise the region:

Central Africa says the UN mission MINUSCA supplies rebels in CAR with weapons!

Central African army detained a convoy of a UN peacekeeping contingent and discovered that they transport weapons.

ℹ️ Details: In the area of ​​​​the settlements of Goya, Mbomo, Zangba and Biamo, a number of operations were carried out with the participation of fighters of the Wagner Group and the allied army of the Central African Republic (Forces Armées Centrafricaines / FACA).

The fighting against the militant group led by Amadou Bangus lasted up to 3 hours in some places. In the Mboki area, a fortified enemy area was discovered, the main part of which was destroyed during the assault. Some of the enemy fled and are now being pursued in the jungle.

And on the night of June 19-20, a day before the major special operation of the Wagner Group and the FACA allies, a convoy of UN troops from the MINUSCA mission (UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission) was stopped and blocked towards the site of the military operation in Ngaboko in CAR/MINUSCA).

Initially, the UN convoy refused the demands to stop at one of the posts, as a result of which the next checkpoint was occupied by defense with full combat readiness. The UN convoy was stopped and blocked. During its inspection by official representatives of the gendarmerie and the army of the Central African Republic discovered weapons and ammunition were discovered, without permission and documents. UN representatives are unable to provide clear explanations for this case.

Later that day, a column of CAR Allied forces was ambushed in the Jacom area, but the enemy lacked the strength to carry out their plan and was scattered by return fire.

One militant was wounded and captured, and he said that his group was expecting help with weapons and ammunition, but it did not arrive, after which the militant commander decided to attack the CAR security forces with what they had.