Upto 60 Peul herders were reportedly murdered in the “organised massacres” that happened between Feb. 14 and 19, around the Bozoum area of the Central African Republic (CAR).
The massacre was orchestrated by the anti-Balaka militia, an outlaw group carrying military-grade weapons in the country. The assailants, armed to the teeth, assaulted camps inhabited by the herders, leaving in their wake dozens of corpses, slaughtered cattle, and a few traumatised survivors, survivors say.
“It has not been a simple rise in violence; it is a methodic massacre, organised and carrying the traces of brutality we believed was in the past. The nightmare in this triangle between Bozoum, Bouar, and Niem is real,” one survivor told HumAngle.
Local sources said the killings started in the Mboforo village, with anti-Balaka militiamen descending on herders living there. Two persons were first killed, followed by a third who was wounded in the hand and rushed to the Bozoum hospital 40 kilometres away.
“On the same day in Bomboro, three herders who came to town to replenish their supplies were ambushed. Two were killed, and the third was wounded and also transported to the Bozoum hospital. Their horse, which was their only possession, was confiscated by the assailants. This anti-Balaka militia, according to what we are told, were trained by Russian mercenaries of the Wagner group,” another local herder said.
On Saturday, Feb. 15, the attacks and killings were accelerated. The assailants wielded heavy weapons, targeting a big herder camp led by a popular man, Alhadji Tambaya.
Almost all the 56 herders and their families living in the camp were killed. The sight was frightening, with corpses littered all over the camp. Only four survivors from the camp have so far been identified. These include a woman carrying her two children and a boy of about 18 years.
Sources claimed that one Blaise, the chief of the Yaou village, led the anti-Balaka assailants, barking orders and mobilising the men in neighbouring communities. His younger brother, Dabare, was his assistant on the ground; after the massacre, Dabare took over, supervising the burial of the murdered in shallow graves.
On Feb. 16, the anti-Balaka marauders hit another camp near Yaou village, killing six herders and slaughtering all their cattle.
“They are linked to a well-known individual called Bello. This former anti-Balaka chief, who was notorious for holdups and large-scale thefts in 2022, seems to be the one pulling the strings behind the massacres. However, behind him also are the Wagner group mercenaries who trained the militiamen,” the survivor revealed.
Local authorities have started taking stock of the damages after the attacks. In the Bozoum hospital, two wounded herders were spotted fighting for their lives.
A series of brutal and organized massacres by the anti-Balaka militia occurred between February 14 and 19 in the Central African Republic, specifically targeting Peul herdsmen around the Bozoum area. The militia, reportedly trained by Russian mercenaries of the Wagner group, utilized military-grade weapons to carry out these assaults, leaving dozens of herdsmen dead and survivors traumatized.
The violence began in Mboforo village and quickly spread to other areas, including a significant attack on a camp led by Alhadji Tambaya, resulting in 56 of the 60 herdsmen inhabitants being killed. Blaise, the chief of Yaou village, is suspected of leading the assailants, with his brother Dabare overseeing the aftermath, while an individual named Bello is believed to be orchestrating the violence with Wagner group backing. Local authorities are now assessing the damages, as Bozoum hospital struggles to treat the wounded.