A Kenyan military officer was killed on Friday, March 28, during a peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR). The officer, a member of the Kenya Army, was the only casualty in the ambush. He had been deployed to the conflict-ridden country in February as a military observer
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The United Nations (UN) Spokesperson’s office, on behalf of Secretary-General António Guterres, confirmed the attack in a statement. The statement revealed that the peacekeeper was killed by unknown assailants while on a long-range patrol near the village of Tabane in the Haut-Mbomou prefecture, located in the southeastern part of CAR.
“The Secretary-General expresses his deepest condolences to the family of the fallen peacekeeper, as well as to the Government and people of Kenya,” the statement read.
The Secretary-General also reiterated that attacks targeting UN peacekeepers could constitute war crimes under international law. He called on Central African authorities to make every effort to identify the attackers and bring them to justice swiftly.
Since 2012, CAR has been embroiled in internal conflict along sectarian lines, with predominantly Muslim militias clashing with mostly Christian anti-Balaka militias, resulting in thousands of deaths and leaving many others reliant on aid. In 2013, armed groups took over the capital, leading to the exile of President François Bozizé. Although violence decreased temporarily in 2015 following elections in 2016, fighting intensified again.
Peace talks under the African Union’s African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation began in 2019, leading to an agreement signed in Khartoum and formalized in CAR’s capital, Bangui.
Valentine Rugwabiza, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for CAR and Head of the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in CAR (MINUSCA), condemned the ambush. The attack occurred 24 kilometers northwest of Zemio, in the Haut-Mbomou prefecture.
“A Kenyan peacekeeper was killed in this violent attack carried out by unidentified armed groups,” the statement said. “The Special Representative is deeply shocked by this heinous assault on peacekeepers, whose mission is to protect civilians. She offers her condolences to the Government and people of Kenya and expresses her sympathy to the victim’s family.”
A rapid intervention team was immediately deployed to secure the area. Rugwabiza emphasized that such cowardly attacks would not deter MINUSCA’s commitment to its mission of peace and stability in CAR.
The UN Security Council also condemned the attack in a statement on Sunday, reiterating that assaults on peacekeepers may constitute war crimes and reminding all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law. Council members urged the government to quickly investigate the attack with MINUSCA’s support, pursue accountability, and keep relevant troop-contributing countries updated on the progress. The Council emphasized that any involvement in planning or conducting attacks against peacekeepers could lead to sanctions.