Sixty-five former members of the Popular Front for the Rebirth of the Central African Republic (FPRC), an armed group active in the northeast of the Central African Republic (CAR), have voluntarily surrendered their weapons to join the peace process, according to several corroborating local sources.
These FPRC members—coming from the former Séléka rebel coalition—handed over their arms and ammunition in the village of Sikikédé, more than 1000 km from the capital, Bangui.
Disarmament operations are continuing in the Vakaga prefecture with the goal of disarming the entire FPRC, which long stood as one of the main actors in the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), said Abakar Yaya, deputy mayor of Sikikédé.
He also urged other armed groups to join the peace process.
Malick Yacoub, president of the Vakaga natives’ collective, stressed that the success of the operation was thanks to a prior awareness campaign explaining to the armed group the importance of voluntary disarmament and the benefits of reintegration into local communities.
He added that this initiative primarily aims to strengthen security and consolidate peace in the region.
