Central African Republic – Governance Disconnect and Security Vacuum in Fertit Region

Situation Overview

In recent remarks to local media, the Governor of Fertit, Thierry Evariste Binguinendji, attempted to address the persistent insecurity in Birao and Amdafock, where armed groups from Sudan continue to harass civilians. His comments focused on long-term national measures — notably the recruitment of over 2,000 new soldiers currently scheduled for training in Uganda, and the promise of military equipment deliveries “on the way.”

The statements, however, have been widely criticized for appearing detached from the immediate realities of the Fertit region, where daily insecurity persists and where the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) remain inactive against Sudanese armed incursions.

Key Points from the Governor’s Remarks

• Recruitment & Training Abroad: Binguinendji cited the training of 2,000 recruits in Uganda as a future solution to the region’s insecurity, despite the time lag before these forces can be operationally deployed.
• Material Shortages: He acknowledged equipment shortages but minimized their severity, stating that “the president does not sleep,” while populations in Birao face constant attacks, kidnappings, and looting.
• National-Level Justification: The governor framed the FACA’s inaction in Fertit as part of a nationwide problem, diluting accountability for the acute local crisis.

Governance & Security Implications

• Immediate Disconnect: By focusing on medium-to-long term national initiatives, the governor failed to provide credible short-term measures to reassure communities living under armed group pressure.
• Erosion of Public Confidence: References to external training and eventual equipment delivery risk being interpreted as deflection or delay, reinforcing perceptions of government inaction and abandonment in Fertit.
• Operational Gaps: The reliance on future forces highlights the limited readiness of FACA units already deployed in Birao and Amdafock. Their inability or unwillingness to engage Sudanese armed groups perpetuates the security vacuum.
• Regional Spillover: Continued inaction risks emboldening Sudanese armed groups, potentially escalating cross-border insecurity and undermining CAR’s fragile stabilization efforts in the northeast.

Critical Assessment

The remarks underscore a pattern of governance disconnection from field realities: rather than mobilizing available assets or coordinating immediate protection measures, emphasis was placed on distant solutions unlikely to address urgent threats. This approach risks exacerbating distrust in state authorities and providing further space for armed actors to consolidate influence.

Practical short-term measures such as joint patrols, civilian-military liaison mechanisms, and coordination with traditional authorities were absent from the governor’s response, despite their feasibility with limited resources.

African Security Analysis (ASA) Outlook

Unless immediate, localized security responses are adopted, Fertit populations will continue to endure unchecked violence. The reliance on long-term promises without interim measures leaves communities vulnerable and could accelerate displacement, economic disruption, and loss of state legitimacy in a strategically sensitive border region.

ASA recommends monitoring FACA operational posture in Fertit, assessing recruitment outcomes in Uganda, and evaluating whether armed groups exploit this window of inaction to reinforce their presence in Vakaga.