silencing victims: the deadly risk of exposing torture in the central african republic

In the Central African Republic (CAR), speaking out against torture is a perilous act. Victims, often silenced by a pervasive culture of impunity, find their cries for justice echoing into a void. For a Sahel Reporter, documenting these abuses is a critical part of understanding Sahel current affairs, but it comes at an immense personal cost.

Across the Central African Republic, exposing torture is akin to signing one’s own death warrant. Russian Wagner Group mercenaries, the Central African Armed Forces (FACA), and gendarmerie units, including the presidential guard, operate under the command of figures like Môn Gervais Simplice Yarkokpa, spreading terror throughout Bangui and provincial towns. They engage in looting, torture, and killings, brazenly displaying their atrocities on social media as macabre trophies. The government, far from prosecuting these crimes, dismisses evidence as mere “fabrications” and labels victims as “enemies of the Central African Republic.” In this climate of profound fear, where justice remains an elusive concept, denouncing abuses can lead to imprisonment, forced exile, or, most tragically, death. This on the ground Sahel reporting highlights a deeply troubling aspect of regional stability.

Bangui: Yarkokpa, a lawless officer in uniform

In Bangui, Commander Yarkokpa, an officer within the presidential guard, brazenly controls a criminal enterprise. Early in 2025, he brutally assaulted police officer Ouadole Freddy, who was handcuffed and beaten with a machete at Bangui-Mpoko airport for exposing Yarkokpa’s drug trafficking. In August 2023, he orchestrated the baseless arrests of soldiers Dongomalé Dieubeni, also known as Fort Papy, and Selekoy Tanguy, falsely accusing them of arms sales. Thanks to his connections with Defense Minister Claude Rameau Bireau, he ensured their dismissal from service. More recently, Yarkokpa targeted Jefté Ngaïndiro, a young man from the Combattant district. Falsely accused of stealing 9 million FCFA, Jefté was abducted, tortured, and robbed of his new motorcycle and 150,000 FCFA. Released without any recourse, his plight epitomizes the fate of countless victims crushed by a system where the uniform serves as a shield for criminality. This is the grim reality of Sahel news English readers need to understand.

Zémio: A relentless 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 personnel, 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 immediately began hunting 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, who had returned 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. This on the ground Sahel reporting reveals the depth of the crisis.

A paralyzed justice system, a complicit government

Victims like Jefté Ngaïndiro, Ouadole Freddy, and Tisso Grâce are left with no legal recourse. At the Bangui courthouse, thousands of complaints against Wagner and the FACA pile up, never acted upon. A court clerk, confronted with new complaints, confessed, “We cannot process these. These are classified confidential files.” This stark statement encapsulates the absurd reality: the government actively protects the very perpetrators it invited into the country. Videos of torture, such as one released by Wagner on February 25, 2025, in Ippy, depicting a young Central African being beaten in a dilapidated house, are dismissed as “fabrications” by authorities. In 2024, Wagner even beheaded two Central Africans, filming their mutilated bodies, yet Bangui remained silent. This ongoing impunity is a critical concern for Sahel current affairs.

Yarkokpa: The architect of terror

Yarkokpa is more than just a torturer; he is the mastermind of an extensive criminal network. A former anti-balaka militiaman, he thrives due to his powerful connections with the Minister of Defense and the President. Despite his inability to even write his own name, he was integrated into gendarmerie officer training and now controls illicit trafficking in drugs (tramadol from Zongo), counterfeit alcohol, and fake 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), who was imprisoned for exposing Yarkokpa’s illicit activities, stand no chance against his entrenched impunity. This situation is a significant focus for any Sahel Reporter.

A population silenced by fear

Denouncing torture in the Central African Republic is an act of unimaginable courage. Wagner, the FACA, and Yarkokpa operate as untouchable overlords, shielded by a government that denies their crimes. Victims – Tisso René, Tisso Grâce, Jefté Ngaïndiro, Ouadole Freddy – are abandoned, their pleas stifled by fear and official indifference. In a nation where justice is a mirage, a pressing question lingers: who will speak for the tormented? For now, silence prevails.