Two Chadian rebel leaders were killed during a clash with rival Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Hadjar Fatna area of the Central African Republic (CAR). Three other rebels were also injured during the bloody clash.
The rebels killed were identified as Ali Massar and Abakar while those wounded were Ismael Kamiss, Ousman Anour and Alrachid Ali. The injured rebels were taken to a hospital in Birao by locals where the CAR authorities are currently interrogating them.
The Hadjar Fatna cave, situated 115 kilometres from the Chadian town of Tissi has for the past two years been serving as a refuge for several Chadian rebel groups composed mostly of ethnic Arabs, Ouaddai, and Sara.
“Rebel chief Atahir Moussa, an ethnic Arab, withdrew his men to join the ranks of the RSF, trying unsuccessfully to convince the other groups to do same,” a local source told HumAngle.
The attack by RSF rebels was a punitive expedition in response to three earlier attacks carried out by Chadian rebels against Peuhl/Mbororo women who were returning from Amdafock.
“The women victims alerted their Sudanese brothers and appealed for protection thus sparking off this reprisal operation,” the local source said.
The assailants looted the Chadian rebel base carting away everything they could lay hands on, including several motorbikes and other goods. The attack demonstrates the complexity of the security situation in this border zone where Chadian and Sudanese conflicts have been playing out.
In 2022, the Chadian rebel groups officially asked the CAR government to let them install their bases on its territory. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sylvie Baipo-Temon, publicly rejected the demand. Russian mercenaries of the Wagner Security group have been accused of being responsible for bringing the Chadian rebels into CAR.
The Wagner forces allegedly taught the Chadian rebels combat techniques and gave them war materials. The collaboration reinforced the rebel groups now fighting among themselves.
Two Chadian rebel leaders, Ali Massar and Abakar, were killed in a clash with Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Central African Republic (CAR), with three other rebels injured and taken to a hospital in Birao for interrogation.
The clash originated as a punitive expedition by the RSF responding to previous attacks by Chadian rebels on Peuhl/Mbororo women, leading to the looting of the Chadian rebel base.
The Hadjar Fatna cave, near Tissi in Chad, has served as a refuge for Chadian rebel groups largely composed of ethnic Arabs, Ouaddai, and Sara, for two years. Attempts by rebel chief Atahir Moussa to align his group with the RSF failed to convince others. The situation highlights the complex security dynamics in the region, compounded by the alleged involvement of Russian Wagner mercenaries who provided combat training and resources to Chadian rebels, intensifying their internal conflicts.