UN warns against early cut to Central African Republic peacekeepers as the Sudan war spills across the border

The head of the United Nations mission in the Central African Republic told the Security Council on 20 October that fighting spilling over from the war in Sudan is complicating plans for a gradual reduction of the peacekeeping force, and urged the council not to cut it too early. The account comes from the UN’s own news service, which reported the briefing by Valentine Rugwabiza, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the MINUSCA mission.

The attack at Am-Dafock

Rugwabiza described an attack on 30 June by several armed groups on Am-Dafock, a town on the border with Sudan. According to the UN account, it killed civilians and members of the national security forces, displaced 17,000 civilians and wounded six UN peacekeepers. She said the mission’s rapid response limited the number of deaths and that the state regained control after the armed group had held the town for five days, before its fighters withdrew across the border into Sudan. She asked the council to keep MINUSCA at “adequate force levels and capabilities” as it prepares to renew the mandate.

Elsewhere, the UN reported 26 serious incidents in the south-east between June and September, attributed to suspected members of the Lord’s Resistance Army. They included reports of rape and sexual slavery and the abduction of 68 civilians, about 40 of them children. Rugwabiza also announced the release on Monday of three hostages held since December 2025, among them the sub-prefect of Bambouti, after several months of mediation with local leaders.

Progress and a divided council

The briefing also covered the peace process. Since July 2025, 1,907 fighters have been disarmed and demobilised, although their economic reintegration remains difficult. As of 1 October, 127 of the 177 municipalities had installed councils, and the remaining local polls, postponed for lack of funds and logistics, are due on 25 October. The UN says nearly two million people, 31 per cent of the population, faced acute food insecurity between April and August, and the humanitarian plan was 46.6 per cent funded at the beginning of October.

The Security Council must decide before mid-November whether to renew the mandate. MINUSCA, deployed in 2014, still has more than 12,000 peacekeepers. The UN reported that the United States has argued for larger troop reductions, while other members warn against a hasty withdrawal. The Secretary-General has recommended a one-year extension that preserves the military capabilities needed for rapid intervention. Rugwabiza said initial assessments show no major deterioration in security where bases have closed, and that the reorganisation relies on long-range patrols and on strengthening Central African forces.

Background

The Sudan war has produced repeated warnings from UN bodies in recent weeks. Geopolitiki has reported on the UN condemnation of drone strikes across Sudan, including a market hit in Abyei, and on the IPC warning of famine risk in Darfur and Kordofan.

The casualty and displacement figures above are those given by the UN mission in its briefing; the identities of the armed groups involved are as stated by the UN, and no other party’s account was available in the sources read.