Wagner’s alleged instrumentalization campaign targets humanitarian joseph figueira in central african republic
On Sunday, May 26, 2024, as dusk settled over Zemio, a small sub-prefecture nestled in the volatile Haut-Mbomou region of the Central African Republic, a convivial gathering was underway. In the courtyard of a local bar-restaurant, approximately fifty individuals had assembled to bid farewell to two visiting experts. Joseph Figueira, a Belgian-Portuguese researcher renowned for his expertise on the Fulani people, and his Ivorian colleague, who resides in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, were offering refreshments to their local contacts. Their presence in the Central African Republic was part of a field assessment for the American NGO FHI 360, contributing to a project proposal under the auspices of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) focused on local conflict prevention.
The next day, after a two-day stay, the researchers were scheduled to return to Bangui. However, the evening’s pleasant atmosphere was abruptly shattered when three men from the Wagner group, a force that has been supporting national authorities since 2018, interrupted the event. They were accompanied by a Central African gendarme, who acted as a translator.
Without hesitation, the Wagner operatives seized Joseph Figueira. The humanitarian specialist had no opportunity to retrieve his documents from the NGO premises where he was lodged before he found himself confined at the airfield, his wrists bound in handcuffs.
Figueira, a well-regarded scholar, was fully compliant with all regulations. He had been in the Central African Republic for nine days, engaging with numerous officials in both the capital and provincial areas to lay the groundwork for this upcoming local conflict prevention initiative, a collaborative effort with several local and international organizations. Despite his impeccable legal standing, the Wagner personnel proceeded to forcibly remove him. Hooded and subjected to physical blows, which left him with a bleeding nose, he was taken aboard an aircraft, entirely outside any recognized legal framework.
The next day, after a two-day stay, the researchers were scheduled to return to Bangui. However, the evening’s pleasant atmosphere was abruptly shattered when three men from the Wagner group, a force that has been supporting national authorities since 2018, interrupted the event. They were accompanied by a Central African gendarme, who acted as a translator.
Without hesitation, the Wagner operatives seized Joseph Figueira. The humanitarian specialist had no opportunity to retrieve his documents from the NGO premises where he was lodged before he found himself confined at the airfield, his wrists bound in handcuffs.
Figueira, a well-regarded scholar, was fully compliant with all regulations. He had been in the Central African Republic for nine days, engaging with numerous officials in both the capital and provincial areas to lay the groundwork for this upcoming local conflict prevention initiative, a collaborative effort with several local and international organizations. Despite his impeccable legal standing, the Wagner personnel proceeded to forcibly remove him. Hooded and subjected to physical blows, which left him with a bleeding nose, he was taken aboard an aircraft, entirely outside any recognized legal framework.