After years of turmoil and military collapse, the Central African Republic (CAR) is making a fresh bid to rebuild its armed forces – with Uganda playing a key role.
On Thursday, a group of new army recruits departed Bangui’s Mpoko Airport bound for Kampala, where they will undergo six months of intensive training. The programme will focus on intelligence gathering and tackling rebel groups, a persistent threat across CAR.
The initiative follows a bilateral military agreement signed between Kampala and Bangui in October 2024.
“Training slots have been granted by this brotherly country for the benefit of the Central African Republic to train 1,800 young Central Africans as second-class soldiers,” said Oscar Yannick Bada, head of the army’s training office.
The recruits, drawn from all seven regions of the country, represent an effort to forge a unified force, free from the sectarian rifts and political divisions that weakened past national armies.
Uganda brings decades of experience in counter-insurgency and peacekeeping, having previously trained troops from South Sudan and Somalia. The partnership marks a significant shift for Bangui, which in recent years has relied almost exclusively on Russian support to build its security capacity.
FACA’s General Staff now hopes this diversification of alliances will accelerate efforts to restore a credible national army capable of securing the country after years of conflict.
