According to a report by UN experts, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are utilising the Central African Republic as a “supply chain,” including for recruiting fighters.

When the generals in charge of the military and the RSF started fighting for control in April 2023, Sudan fell into war.

The expert committee established by the UN Security Council to oversee sanctions on Central Africa stated on Friday that “the situation in the Central African Republic has been significantly affected by the spillover effect of the conflict in Sudan.”

They emphasised the humanitarian crisis in particular, given the flood of millions of refugees from Sudan and the incursions of the two opposing Sudanese parties, in addition to airstrikes.

As to the experts, this “remains to pose a security risk to civilians and hinder humanitarian endeavours in the region.”

They maintain that the border town of Um Dafok in the Central African Republic is being used by the paramilitaries “as a key logistical hub.”

Recruitment for the RSF has come “from among armed groups in the Central African Republic,” owing to their ability to “move between the two countries easily through a long-standing network.”

The experts stated, “It has been reported that opposition armed groups from the Central African Republic actively recruited for and sent members of their own groups to fight in the Sudan under RSF.”

They specifically mentioned fighters from the Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central Africa (FPRC), a rebel group based in Central Africa, who have been in Sudan since August 2023.

In light of the ongoing crisis in Sudan, the experts urged Central African authorities to “counteract the surge in arms trafficking from neighbouring countries.”

“The infiltration of foreign fighters into the Central African Republic, which poses a significant long-term threat to the region,” was another issue they requested the leaders to address.