This archive report was first published on 30 September 2019.
On September 30, 2019, the United Nations alerted the Central African government to allegations of 'detention and torture' carried out by 'individuals of Russian nationality'.
A 38-year-old shop owner, who was rounded up by local soldiers and taken to a Russian training facility, described being hog-tied, beaten, and cut repeatedly by more than a dozen Russians in civilian clothes over the course of four days.
When he refused to confess to being a rebel, one of the Russians hacked off his finger, he said. Nearby, he saw another man with two fingers missing, lying in a pool of blood.
Despite these allegations, Russia's foreign ministry called them 'bogus' and claimed that their assistance was provided in strict accordance with international law to bring about a lasting settlement of the conflict.
However, the peace accord brokered by the Russians seems to be holding, at least for now. But many victims of atrocities wonder whether they will see justice, especially now that warlords are in government and rebel fighters are being incorporated into the military.
As one artist from Bangui noted, 'It's like death has become banal here.'
