Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports of a new armed militia group, 3R, operating in Cameroon and the Central African Republic border region; and of the capacity of that group, the weapons they possess, the impact on the distribution of aid in that region, and whether they control any territory in that border region.

We are aware of the emergence of a new armed militia group called "Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation," or "3R" which operates in the north of the Central African Republic (CAR). This group, and other militias operating in the transhumance corridors in the Ouham prefecture in northern CAR, are responsible for some of the most violent incidents reported in the country in the last 12 months.

We are also aware of recent claims that 3R is responsible for sexual violence, burning villages and displacing vulnerable people, with some reports listing the number of those displaced at 17,000. However, we do not hold information on the capacity of 3R or the weapons they possess.

We support President Touadera's efforts to implement disarmament, demobilization, repatriation and reintegration and call on all armed groups in the CAR to engage in the government's dialogue.