A Central African Republic (CAR) minister on Thursday, January 14, urged the country's youth to stand up and help the national army wipe out elements of a ragtag rebel coalition intent on disrupting the path to peace and stability.
Brig Gen Henri Wanzet Linguissara, the Minister of the Interior, in charge of public security, made the call in the capital, Bangui, as he paraded five rebels and arms captured earlier Wednesday on the outskirts of the city when security forces repulsed an attack.
A Rwandan peacekeeper serving under the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) was killed during the attack by a coalition of armed groups led by former CAR President François Bozizé.
Besides the five captured rebels, 37 others were killed.
Linguissara said: "Stand up young Central Africans! Support your police, support your gendarmerie, support your army, along with MINUSCA and our bilateral partners - the Russian brothers and the Rwandan brothers; many Central African blessings, to help us get out of this nonsense.
"I said, and the government has told you, that the country is at war. We strongly request every patriot wherever you are to cooperate and cooperate positively so that we rout out these bandits."
Among "these bandits," Linguissara said, many are foreigners, "unfortunately."
On Wednesday, soon after the attack was repulsed by the blue helmets, in conjunction with the Central African armed forces, Linguissara and other top government officials urged citizens to remain calm.
The Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) on Wednesday also issued a statement, saying it will remain committed to the protection of civilians within the mandate of MINUSCA, "and the other peacekeeping missions under which our troops serve."
Rwanda is one of the top troop contributors to the UN Mission which started in April 2014 to protect civilians in the country under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.
Kigali deployed "force protection troops"—trained to conduct special operations— to the country on December 20, 2020, under a bilateral agreement on defence.
Russia also sent in troops, under a bilateral arrangement, to help the country's security forces.
MINUSCA has condemned the attacks by the anti-Balaka, UPC, 3R and MPC coalition armed groups and their political allies, notably Bozizé. The Mission holds them responsible for the consequences of violence on the civilian population.
It has often stressed that attacks against peacekeepers "can be considered as war crimes and prosecuted," but it remains to be seen whether the threat will culminate into anything tangible where Bozizé, the ringleader of the rebel coalition, is concerned.
Bozizé returned to the country - through Uganda - in December 2019 after living in exile for six years in Benin, Cameroon and DR Congo.
Bozizé later announced his intention to stand in the December 27, 2020 election but was not allowed because, among others, he faces UN sanctions for his alleged support of criminal groups in 2013.
He also faces an international arrest warrant, initiated by the CAR in 2013, accusing him of crimes against humanity and incitement to genocide.
Despite threats from a coalition of rebels fermenting trouble, general elections were held on December 27 to elect a new president and members of the National Assembly.
President Faustin-Archange Touadéra eventually won a second term.