Two armed groups that were formerly part of the coalition that sought to overthrow President Faustin-Archange Touadéra of the Central African Republic have agreed to lay down their weapons and align with the government.
The Unité pour la Paix en Centrafrique (UPC) and Retour, Réclamation et Réhabilitation (3Rs), which were the most powerful factions within the Coalition des Patriotes pour le Changement (CPC), have decided to dissolve their armed resistance.
In late 2020, the CPC, then backed by former president François Bozizé, advanced towards the capital Bangui in an attempted coup. However, they were pushed back by Rwandan forces deployed under a bilateral security agreement with Touadéra’s government.
According to Africa Intelligence, on July 10, 2025, Ali Darassa, the UPC leader, and Gen. Sende Abdelkader, also known as “Bobo Bobo”, who leads the 3Rs, will formally dissolve their respective groups during a ceremony in Bangui.
This decision follows peace talks held in Chad in recent months, where both rebel leaders reached an agreement with Touadéra’s government and committed to the peace process.
In April, Gen. Henry Wanzet Linguissara, the President’s security advisor, told reporters that President Touadéra had personally asked him to meet with Bobo in N’Djamena, Chad, and request an end to hostilities.
“We’ve been fighting for decades. As a man of peace, the President said 3Rs must stop fighting. Their military leader, Mr. Abdelkader alias Bobo, is in N’Djamena. I was asked to go speak to him,” Linguissara said.
He added that the President of Chad, Marshal Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, allowed and facilitated the talks, which ended in mutual agreement.
“Bobo of 3Rs decided to join the APPR framework and halt all military actions from the date of the signing,” Linguissara explained.
He also noted that while the talks were ongoing with Bobo, Darassa of UPC also joined in and agreed to sign the peace deal.
