Denouncing torture in central african republic: a perilous fight for justice

In the Central African Republic, exposing torture by Wagner and state forces is a perilous act of defiance.

In the Central African Republic (CAR), speaking out against torture can be a death sentence. Russian Wagner mercenaries, the Central African Armed Forces (FACA), and even the gendarmerie – including the presidential guard under figures like Commander Môn Gervais Simplice Yarkokpa – operate with impunity, terrorizing citizens in Bangui and provincial towns. They plunder, inflict torture, and commit killings, often displaying their cruel acts on social media as macabre trophies. The government, instead of prosecuting, dismisses evidence as “fabrications” and labels victims “enemies of the Central African Republic.” In this climate of fear, where justice remains elusive, reporting abuses leads to imprisonment, forced exile, or worse, death.

Bangui: Yarkokpa, a lawless officer

In Bangui, Commander Yarkokpa, an officer within the presidential guard, presides over a criminal network with chilling arrogance. Early in 2025, he brutally assaulted police officer Ouadole Freddy, handcuffing and beating him with a machete at Bangui-Mpoko airport after Freddy exposed his drug trafficking. In August 2023, Yarkokpa orchestrated the baseless arrests of soldiers Dongomalé Dieubeni, known as Fort Papy, and Selekoy Tanguy, falsely accusing them of arms sales. He then leveraged his connections with Defense Minister Claude Rameau Bireau to ensure their dismissal. More recently, Yarkokpa targeted Jefté Ngaïndiro, a young man from the Combattant neighborhood. Wrongfully accused of stealing 9 million FCFA, Jefté was abducted, tortured, and stripped of his new motorcycle and 150,000 FCFA. Released without recourse, his ordeal exemplifies the fate of victims crushed by a system where a uniform serves as a shield for criminal activity.

Zémio: a hunt for witnesses

In Zémio, located in Haut-Mbomou, the repression is equally severe. Tisso René, a municipal councilor and history-geography teacher, was abducted on May 15, 2025, by gendarmes and FACA soldiers, then handed over to Wagner mercenaries. He has since vanished, likely a victim of extrajudicial execution. When his son, based in Bangui, reported the abduction on Radio Ndékè Luka, gendarmes pursued 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 respected figure in Zémio.

Justice paralyzed, government complicit

Victims like Jefté Ngaïndiro, Ouadole Freddy, and Tisso Grâce find no avenue for redress. Thousands of complaints against Wagner and FACA forces pile up at the Bangui courthouse, never acted upon. A court clerk, confronted with new complaints, openly admits: “We cannot process these. These are confidential files.” This stark statement encapsulates the absurd reality: the government shields the very perpetrators it has welcomed. Videos depicting torture, such as one released by Wagner on February 25, 2025, in Ippy, showing a young Central African beaten in a dilapidated house, are dismissed as “montages” by authorities. In 2024, Wagner even decapitated two Central Africans, filming their mutilated bodies, yet Bangui remained silent.

Yarkokpa: the architect of terror

Yarkokpa is more than just a torturer; he is the mastermind of a criminal enterprise. A former anti-balaka militiaman, he thrives due to his connections with the Defense Minister and the President. Despite his inability to write his own name, he was integrated into gendarmerie officer training and now controls illicit trafficking in drugs (tramadol from Zongo), adulterated alcohol, and counterfeit currency. In June 2024, he stole 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 Warrant Officer Kparambéti (Ozaguin), imprisoned for exposing Yarkokpa’s illicit activities, stand no chance against his absolute impunity.

A population silenced

Daring to denounce torture in the Central African Republic is an act of unimaginable courage. Wagner, the FACA, and Yarkokpa rule as absolute lords, protected by a government that denies their atrocities. Victims – Tisso René, Tisso Grâce, Jefté Ngaïndiro, Ouadole Freddy – are abandoned, their cries stifled by pervasive fear and indifference. In this nation where justice is a mirage, a critical question echoes: who will speak for the tormented? For now, the silence is deafening.