Chimbolo massacre

Around 5 a.m. local time (04:00 GMT)^[2] group of armed men entered the site. More than a dozen soldiers were supposed to protect the site but only four were present during the attack.^[1] Upon seeing the attackers all guards fled, shooting one of the attackers in the process.^[3] After their retreat, attackers entered the dormitories and began taking their inhabitants one by one. They tackled them to the ground before executing them at point-blank range.^[3][1] Before turning back, attackers searched the dormitory and retrieved body of one of their fighters who was killed previously.^[3]

The attackers left the bodies of the victims facing down in a row in the mud.^[1] The victims have not been identified, and their bodies were cremated shortly after the attack.^[1]

The government, including justice minister Arnaud Djoubaye Abazène, has blamed rebel Coalition of Patriots for Change for the attack.^[1] Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner Group claimed the "bandits" were responsible for the attack and that they were caught without elaborating.^[1] According to investigation by Afrique Media rebels from UPC were responsible for the attack.^[4] On 19 April government released its investigation blaming the CPC rebels for the massacre.^[5]

Rebels spokesman Mamadou Koura refuted these allegations instead blame Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group.^[2] According to Corbeau News Centrafrique one of the attackers who was killed during the attack was named Saleh alias "Erike" who belonged to pro-government armed group.^[3] The website blamed the Wagner Group and allied Central African militia for the attack citing interview with one of the survivors of the attack.^[6] Investigation by Mother Jones blamed Russian mercenaries for the attack.^[7]

According to Human Rights Division of the United Nations ex-UPC combatants allied with the government known as "Black Russians" were present in the area during the attack. They allegedly beat a man to force him to reveal identities of the attackers.^[8]