The mining town of Ndassima , located 60 km from Bambari in the center of the Central African Republic, has been the scene of deadly violence since Friday, March 27. An incident involving security forces sparked a popular uprising, leaving at least four dead (three civilians and one soldier) and many wounded.

The spark: an alleged execution

Tensions escalated following the arrest of three gold miners who were collecting gravel tailings from a mining site. According to local accounts:

1. Two of the miners belonged to the Christian community and one to the Fulani community.
2. One of the Christian artisans was reportedly killed by a "Black Russian" — a term referring to former Central African rebels trained by the Wagner Group and now integrated into the regular forces.
3. The release of the Fulani miner, in contrast to the execution of his comrade, was perceived as a blatant injustice, provoking immediate outrage among the population.

A city ransacked

The discontent turned into an urban insurrection. Groups of young people, armed with stones, sticks and knives, paralyzed the city to protest against these brutal methods.

Summary of material damage:

1. Destruction of several public buildings, including the town hall .
2. Vandalism of checkpoints.
3. Scenes of widespread looting.

A return to precarious calm

While the arrival of reinforcements from Bambari officially restored control of the town, Ndassima remained a ghost town on Saturday evening. Despite the seriousness of the events, local authorities have not yet officially commented on the exact number of casualties or the circumstances of this alleged blunder.